An American man was recently arrested for attempting to swim across the Han river to North Korea. If this sounds bizarre to you, it's because it is. 

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The man, in his early 30s, was found on the bank of the Han River in Gimpo, located in a restricted military area near the border. When questioned by investigators, the man reportedly declared that he was going to swim to North Korea and meet with Kim Jong Un.

Uhhh... what? 

The identity of this man hasn't been revealed but he is said to be Arab-American and in his late 20's or early 30's. The U.S. Embassy in South Korea is aware of the issue and is speaking to the South Korean authorities.

 

Entering another country illegally warrants an arrest, yet surprisingly, this isn't the first time an American has attempted to enter the North and some Americans have actually succeeded in the past. In the 1960s, some U.S. soldiers could simply walk into North Korea through the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ), a buffer zone between North and South Korea. Some of these soldiers would later appear in North Korean propaganda and taught English to North Koreans.

In 1996, Evan C. Hunziker swam across the Yalu River along the Chinese-North Korea border on a drunken dare. This turned out to be a really bad idea, as Hunziker was accused of being a spy and was detained in North Korea for 3 months. After a U.S. envoy got involved, Hunziker was eventually released for a criminal fine of $5,000 USD. A month later, he committed suicide.

Currently, North Korea is holding three Americans. These detainees include Matthew Miller, Jeffrey Fowle, and Kenneth Bae.