A US soldier is now likely in North Korean custody after making an unauthorized crossing into the country, according to the Department of Defense. The development could force the US into rare talks with North Korea and is likely to complicate an already tense relationship between the two countries.
“What we do know is that one of our service members, who was on a tour, willfully and without authorization crossed the military demarcation line. We believe he is in DPRK custody,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
According to the Pentagon, the person who crossed the North Korean border is Private Second Class Travis King, a 23-year-old soldier who has served in the army since January 2021 and who recently faced disciplinary action in South Korea. The situation has fueled concerns that North Korea could use King’s detention for leverage, with national security experts noting that it’s definitely likely to be used for propaganda purposes.
Austin has said that his central focus at the moment is King’s welfare and that the DOD is “closely monitoring and investigating the situation.” The United Nations Command, which oversees the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, has also stated that it is “working with our (North) Korean People’s Army counterparts to resolve this incident.”
Who is the US soldier in North Korea?
King reportedly was involved in altercations in Seoul that led to his being detained by local police in October 2022. During his arrest, he is said to have damaged a police car, and was ultimately ordered to pay a fine after pleading guilty to the charges he faced.
Later on, King spent nearly 50 days in a South Korean detention facility after facing assault charges. He was scheduled to fly back to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he could have faced more disciplinary consequences, but left the airport after going through security. At that point, King joined a civilian tour of the Joint…
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