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U.S. man apparently trying to swim across N. Korea border detained

North Korean flag
A North Korean flag flies at the Supreme Court where a trial of Matthew Miller, a U.S. citizen, was to be held, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014. North Korea's Supreme Court on Sunday sentenced Miller to six years of hard labor for entering the country illegally and trying to commit espionage. AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of – An official says South Korean border guards have arrested an American man who they believe was attempting to swim across the border into rival North Korea.

The government official says the man was arrested on Tuesday night at a river near the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

He says investigators are questioning the man over the purpose of his apparent attempt to enter North Korea but gave no further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity citing office policy.

Yonhap news agency says the man told investigators that he tried to go to North Korea to meet leader Kim Jong Un. Yonhap says he is in his late 20s or early 30s.

The National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s main spy agency, couldn’t immediately confirm the report.

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