US soldier confesses illegally entering North Korea, state media

Private Travis King, a US soldier, reportedly “admitted” to illegally entering North Korean territory, according to state media KCNA.

The soldier altered his plans at the airport, avoiding boarding a plane back to the US. The statement from KCNA marks the first official release of information regarding King’s detention in July after deliberately crossing into North Korea during a border tour.

KCNA’s report highlighted that “Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to [North Korea] due to his resentment against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army.”

The soldier also expressed a desire to seek refuge in North Korea or a third country, disillusioned by what he perceived as the inequality in American society.

The 22-year-old soldier, who had been in detention for two months, was recently released after facing assault charges, which reportedly stemmed from an altercation with a South Korean national in a club the previous September.

King was also reportedly fined for damaging public property and displaying uncooperative behavior during his arrest, along with making derogatory comments about Koreans.

Although released from a South Korean prison on July 10, King diverged from his intended path during a civilian tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas and ran toward North Korea.

The United Nations Command stated in late July that a US national had been taken into custody by North Korea after crossing the Military Demarcation Line without authorization during a visit to the border.

“We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” the United Nations Command had stated, referring to the North Korean People’s Army.

Since the Korean War’s armistice in 1953, the two countries have remained in a state of technical war, separated by a heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone along the border.

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