A South Korean man has been making frequent visits to the border, according to local authorities. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo

July 15 (UPI) -- An elderly South Korean man who "wanted to go to North Korea" created a disturbance at the inter-Korea border on Monday, according to local reports.

The man, who was described as being in his 80s, but was not identified by name, was taken in for questioning then sent home, News 1 reported.


The incident took place at 11:20 a.m. on Monday, on Unification Bridge in Paju, a town that faces the Korean demilitarized zone.

The man, who had placed a South Korean flag on his bicycle, asked to cross into North Korea at a checkpoint on the bridge, according to reports.

South Korean military personnel apprehended the man and turned him over to local police.

After South Korean authorities concluded the man was not a threat to public safety, he was ordered to go home.

The man has previously asked to cross the border on July 8, according to local news service Newsis. He has appeared at the boundary, requesting a North Korea visit, about one to two times a year.

A South Korean police source told Newsis the elderly South Korean man appeared to have personal reasons for desiring a visit to North Korea.

"He did not provide details, but it appears he has a personal situation," the source said. "He's [previously] come by train on the Gyeongui Line, to sit at the barricades on Unification Bridge, before heading back."

Earlier this month, a South Korean man defected to North Korea for "permanent residence," according to North Korea state media.

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