The division of Korea into North and South is the result of deep historical, political, and ideological conflicts that emerged in the aftermath of World War II. For over a thousand years, Korea was a unified nation.

The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military identified and tracked the individual near the central-west section of the military demarcation line and conducted a “guiding operation” before taking the person into custody Thursday night.

South Korean troops detain unarmed North Korean man after rare border crossing amid rising inter-Korean military tensions