SEOUL - One American man was captured in South Korea after seeking to cross over to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday citing a government source.

The Arab-American man was caught by South Korean marines at about 11:55 pm Tuesday after seeking to swim and cross over to the DPRK in the Gimpo region, west of the capital Seoul.

It was the first time an American seeks to defect to the DPRK from South Korea.

After being arrested, the man in his late 20s said he tried to go to the DPRK to meet with top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un.

Officials from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), South Korea's spy agency, are reportedly investigating details of the incident.