North Korea to deport US soldier Travis King
- North Korea announces its intention to repatriate US soldier Travis King.
- King crossed into North Korea from South Korea during a tour in July.
- Pyongyang completes its investigation into King’s “unlawful” entry.
North Korea has declared its intention to repatriate US soldier Travis King, who crossed the border from South Korea during a tour in July.
Pyongyang revealed that it had completed its investigation into King’s “unlawful” entry, as reported by the state news agency.
The statement did not provide details regarding the method, timing, or destination of Private King’s deportation, nor did it mention his current health status.
This announcement comes approximately one month after North Korea admitted to his detention.
According to a state news agency, the 23-year-old confessed to having illegally crossed into North Korea “due to inhuman treatment in the US military, antipathy to racism, and disillusionment with the unequal US society.”
“The relevant body in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has decided to deport US soldier Travis King, who illegally entered the territory of the republic, by the laws of the republic,” it said.
Private King, a reconnaissance specialist who had enlisted in the army in January 2021, has been missing and without communication since his unauthorized crossing into North Korea.
Before this incident, he had spent two months in detention in South Korea due to assault charges and was scheduled to return to the United States to face disciplinary action.
Private King was participating in a guided tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which acts as a buffer between North and South Korea.
During this tour, he separated from the group and decided to run across the border.
It’s worth noting that North and South Korea technically remain in a state of war since the Korean War concluded with an armistice in the 1950s. A substantial number of US troops are stationed in South Korea.
In recent years, several American citizens who entered North Korea unlawfully, excluding those convicted of criminal offenses within the country, have been released within approximately six months. Some have been repatriated via air travel, often through Beijing.
Notable cases include missionary Robert Park, who regained freedom in 2010 after more than a month in captivity, and US Korean War veteran Merrill Newman.
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