Two U.S. officials disclosed on Wednesday that the American soldier who dashed into North Korea via the heavily fortified inter-Korean border two months ago is now under American custody.
Earlier, North Korea had made a surprising announcement stating its intention to expel Pvt. Travis King. This announcement took some observers off guard, as they had anticipated North Korea to prolong his detainment, hoping to extract concessions from Washington amidst the high tensions between the two rivals.
While King’s expulsion brings some resolution to this still-mysterious incident, it by no means guarantees a triumphant return home, a scene often associated with the release of detained Americans. His future remains uncertain, compounded by his classification as AWOL by the U.S. government, which could result in penalties such as military confinement, forfeiture of pay, or a dishonorable discharge.
One of the U.S. officials revealed that King was handed over to American authorities in China, but they chose to remain anonymous in discussing King’s status before an official announcement.
Pvt. Travis King, who had previously served in South Korea, crossed into North Korea during a civilian tour of a border village on July 18, becoming the first confirmed case of an American being detained in North Korea in nearly half a decade.
At the time of his border crossing, King was supposed to be en route to Fort Bliss, Texas, following his release from prison in South Korea due to an assault conviction.
North Korea’s official news agency, Korean Central News Agency, reported on Wednesday that their authorities had completed their interrogation of King. They stated that King had confessed to illegally entering North Korea, citing “ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” within the U.S. Army, along with disillusionment regarding the perceived inequality within American society. It’s worth noting that similar statements had been attributed to King previously, with no definitive means of verifying their authenticity.
In an interview with The Associated Press last month, King’s mother, Claudine Gates, expressed her belief that her son had compelling reasons to return to the United States, given his family ties and connections there.
King, originally from Wisconsin, was among the 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, serving as a deterrence against potential aggression from North Korea. Concerns had been raised by U.S. officials regarding King’s well-being, given North Korea’s history of harsh treatment towards American detainees.
Unauthorized crossings across the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea are exceedingly rare. Previous cases of Americans entering North Korea without permission have included soldiers, missionaries, human rights advocates, or individuals merely curious about one of the world’s most isolated societies.
North Korea’s decision to release King after just 71 days is relatively swift by the country’s standards, especially considering the ongoing tensions between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, along with the United States’ increasing military exercises with South Korea. Speculation had arisen that North Korea might utilize King as a propaganda tool or bargaining chip.
Ultimately, North Korea seemed to determine that keeping King was not worth the associated costs of providing food, accommodation, and security, especially since he was unlikely to yield significant U.S. military intelligence. This perspective was suggested by Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute.
In past instances, captive Americans have been either flown to China or retrieved by a diplomatic envoy. This was the case in 2017 when North Korea deported Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was in a coma at the time of his release and tragically later passed away.
{Matzav.com}
Even they cant stand him.