North Korea provides more information about US soldiers crossing the border

North Korean state media first reported on the illegal entry of US soldier Travis King from the Panmunjom joint security area into North Korean territory on July 18.

Travis King had sought asylum in this or other countries due to “inhumane and racist treatment” by the US military, North Korea's state media said.

As a private in the US Army, Travis King ran across the border between North and South Korea during a tour for civilians at the Joint Security Area on the fortified border between the two countries.

US officials say they believe King deliberately crossed the border, and have so far refused to identify him as a prisoner of war.

North Korean investigators also determined that King had deliberately crossed the border illegally, with the goal of staying in North Korea or another third country.

"During the investigation, Travis King admitted that he decided to go to the DPRK because he was angry at the inhumane and racist treatment in the US military. He also expressed his willingness to seek asylum in the DPRK or a third country, saying he was disillusioned with the unequal society of the US," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

KCNA said Travis King was “taken under control of soldiers of the Korean People's Army” after crossing the border and an investigation is still underway.

The Pentagon said on August 15 that it could not verify comments attributed to King in North Korean media and remained focused on getting King home safely. The agency did not say whether it had received additional information from North Korea.

Meanwhile, the White House has not commented. Previously, the US said Pyongyang did not respond to requests for information about this soldier.

A spokesman for the United Nations Command (UNC), which administers the border village where King crossed, said he had no further comment.

The US military is still discussing confirming Travis King's "location".

As an active duty soldier, Travis King would likely qualify as a prisoner of war, as South Korea and North Korea are technically still at war. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The Korean peninsula is still a battlefield, with the UNC ensuring the armistice is properly observed.

However, some US officials said factors such as King's deliberate crossing of the border in civilian clothes may have invalidated his designation as a prisoner of war.

Travis King joined the US Army in January 2021 as a Reconnaissance Cavalryman with the Republic of Korea Transitional Forces.

However, this character encountered many legal problems while serving in the military.

Nguyen Quang Minh (Reuters)

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