On Tuesday, U.S. officials confirmed that an American soldier, who had served nearly two months in a South Korean prison, made a daring escape across the heavily fortified border into North Korea.

This incident marked the first time in almost five years that an American has been detained in North Korea.

Private 2nd Class Travis King, 23, had been incarcerated on assault charges and was released on July 10 after completing his sentence, the Associated Press has reported.

Originally scheduled to return to Fort Bliss, Texas, on Monday, he faced the possibility of further military disciplinary actions and discharge from the service.

According to officials, King was accompanied to the airport and received assistance until he reached the customs area.

However, instead of boarding the plane, he left the airport and later joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom.

In a daring move, he bolted across the border, which is heavily guarded and frequently visited by tourists, on Tuesday afternoon local time in Korea.

Upon notification of the incident, the Army disclosed King’s name and limited information to his family.

Several U.S. officials provided additional details anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation.

It remains unclear how he reached the border or how he spent the hours between leaving the airport on Monday and crossing into North Korea the following day.

During a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that it was highly likely the U.S. service member was now in North Korean custody.

Written by staff