US soldier Travis King was detained by North Korea on Tuesday after crossing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) for deliberately trespassing into North Korean territory. Here’s what we know about Private Second Class Soldier.
The soldier was on his way back to the US as he was facing disciplinary action by the authorities. He was on his way but he suddenly turned around and joined a border tour where according to US officials, he deliberately crossed the border and disappeared.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Tuesday that officials are “very early in the process of determining exactly what happened,” and “there is a lot that we are still trying to learn.”
Austin said, “What we do know is that one of our service members who was on tour intentionally and without permission crossed the military demarcation line. We believe he is in DPRK custody.”
Here are some details revealed about Travis King.
Detained for assault in South Korea
The 22-year-old soldier was in custody for two months and was recently locked up again as he was reportedly facing assault charges.
According to the report quoting PeopleKing’s detention was the result of allegedly hitting a South Korean national in a club last September.
Reports indicate that in addition to being in jail, he was also instructed to pay approximately $4,000 for damaging public property by kicking a police car and being uncooperative while being arrested and speaking ill of Koreans.
People King was reported to have been released from a South Korean prison on July 10 and left for the United States to face further military disciplinary action.
King deliberately entered North Korea
American soldier King was scheduled to board his flight to the US on Tuesday, but he left to join the group for a tour of the nearby Joint Security Area (JSA) – which separates North and South Korea and is known for being heavily guarded by troops from both sides.
a witness told CBS News That soldier laughed before running between some buildings toward North Korea.
The witness said, “At first I thought it was a bad joke, but when he didn’t come back, I realized it wasn’t a joke.”
“A US citizen on a JSA orientation tour crossed the military demarcation line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) without permission. We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” the UN Command said on Tuesday.
The soldiers of the South Korean army also chased King but could not catch him.
King arrested by North Korea
According to US officials, “the soldier is currently in the custody of the DPRK and is working with our North Korean counterparts to resolve this incident.”
But the White House said Tuesday that US officials are now “engaging” South Korean and Swedish officials over the apparent defection.
It added, “The White House, the Department of Defense, the State Department and the United Nations are also working together to obtain more information and resolve this situation.”
“Beyond that I have nothing more to share. We are looking into it. We are trying to get more details.”
In his remarks to reporters, Defense Secretary Austin said the US is “closely monitoring and investigating the situation” and “working to notify the soldier’s next of kin” before officially identifying him.
Austin said, “I am absolutely concerned about the welfare of our military, and so we will continue to focus on this … and it will develop over the next several days.”
