Korean Demilitarized Zone, Photo Courtesy: Newsweek
On Tuesday, U.S. soldier Travis King was allegedly detained by North Korean authorities after fleeing a tour of the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea, subsequently crossing into North Korean territory, according to U.S. Officials. Witnesses who were on the tour say that they heard a “HA-HA-HA” sound, before looking to see that King had run to cross the military demarcation line (DMZ) into North Korea.
According to the spokesman for U.S. Forces Korea, Colonel Isaac Taylor, King had crossed the DMZ “…willfully and without permission”. King, a First-Class Army Private, had been detained on assault charges in a South Korean prison, and was in the midst of being sent back to the United States and was facing “disciplinary action”, according to a Pentagon official. According to those familiar with the case, King managed to avoid his escort and joined a tour of the Joint Security Area, leading to the sequence of events.
King had been in the army as a cavalry scout since January 2021 and had been stationed in South Korea. Numerous South Korean news outlets report that he had assaulted a South Korean national in a club last September, landing him jail time and a fine of 5 million won ($3,942). He was also reported to have been difficult with authorities while being arrested, as well as causing damage to public property.
Taylor states that the U.S. believes he is currently in North Korean custody, and that the United Nations are in talks with sources located in North Korea to resolve the incident as soon as possible.
Travis King, Photo Courtesy: NBC News
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