North Korea issued a statement on Wednesday regarding Pvt. Travis T. King, the American soldier who crossed the inter-Korean border into their territory on July 18. According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency, Pvt. King expressed a desire to seek refuge in either North Korea or another country. This is the first time the North has commented on Pvt. King’s case.
During the investigation conducted by North Korean officials, Pvt. King admitted that he decided to come to North Korea due to feelings of mistreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army. The news agency also mentioned that Pvt. King confessed to illegally intruding into North Korean territory because he was disillusioned with the unequal society in the United States.
The report did not provide any further details about Pvt. King’s fate, including his health condition or whether North Korea planned to grant him refugee status or send him to another country. The investigation is ongoing, indicating that North Korea has yet to make a decision regarding Pvt. King’s future.
The Pentagon has previously stated that Pvt. King crossed into North Korea without authorization while on a group tour in the Joint Security Area. However, the Defense Department could not verify the comments attributed to Pvt. King by North Korea. The priority for the Pentagon remains the safe return of Pvt. King, and they are working through all available channels to achieve this.
Until now, North Korea had not commented on Pvt. King’s case. In the past, North Korea has accepted American soldiers who defected to the country as political refugees, allowing them to live there and even start families. However, civilian Americans accused of illegal entry have been held in detention, released and expelled, or prosecuted and sentenced to hard labor.
North Korea has often used American soldiers as propaganda tools against the United States. In the case of civilian Americans accused of illegal entry, they have been used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the United States, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.
Pvt. King, 23, was assigned to South Korea as a member of the First Brigade Combat Team, First Armored Division. After being released from a South Korean detention center in July where he was held on assault charges, he was escorted by U.S. military personnel to Incheon International Airport with the intention of returning to the United States to face further disciplinary action. However, instead of boarding the plane, he took a tour bus to Panmunjom the following day.
This article includes reporting from Helene Cooper in Washington.
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