SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Pvt. Travis King, the American soldier who crossed into North Korea two months ago, is now in American custody, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. It is reported that Pvt. King has been transferred to U.S. custody in China. The North Korean government had previously announced that they would expel King, which surprised some observers who expected his detention to be prolonged in an attempt to gain concessions from the United States. However, it remains unclear when and where King will be expelled by North Korean authorities.
Pvt. King, who had been serving in South Korea, entered North Korea on July 18 during a civilian tour of a border village. He is the first American to be detained in North Korea in nearly five years. At the time of his border crossing, King was supposed to be heading to Fort Bliss, Texas following his release from prison in South Korea on an assault conviction.
North Korea’s state news agency has claimed that King confessed to illegally entering the country due to his dissatisfaction with the U.S. Army’s treatment and racial discrimination, as well as disillusionment with the unequal society in the United States. However, the authenticity of these claims cannot be verified.
U.S. officials have labeled Pvt. King as AWOL, which can result in punishment such as time in the brig, forfeiture of pay, or dishonorable discharge. The severity of the punishment depends on factors such as the length of time away and whether the service member was apprehended or returned voluntarily.
Following weeks of silence, North Korea confirmed in August that they had detained Pvt. King and were investigating the circumstances surrounding his border crossing. Concerns were raised about King’s well-being due to North Korea’s history of harsh treatment towards American detainees.
Unauthorized crossings into North Korea are extremely rare, with past cases involving soldiers, missionaries, human rights advocates, or individuals curious about the country’s cloistered society.
North Korea’s decision to release Pvt. King after 71 days is considered relatively quick, given the ongoing tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. It is speculated that North Korea decided King was not worth keeping as he would not provide valuable military intelligence. The method of King’s expulsion has not been disclosed, but past cases have involved flights to Beijing or the use of envoys to retrieve released Americans.
Notably, North Korea deported American college student Otto Warmbier in 2017 while he was in a coma, and he later died. In 2007, former diplomat Bill Richardson traveled to North Korea to recover the remains of servicemembers killed in the Korean War.
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