In a notable development, North Korea has officially acknowledged that U.S. soldier Travis King has expressed a desire for refuge within its borders or another country, citing what it calls “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” prevalent in the United States and its military. The announcement was made by state media on Wednesday.
This marks the first instance where North Korea has publicly recognized the incident involving army private Travis King, who crossed over from South Korea on July 18 while on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA), a heavily fortified border zone between the two neighboring nations.
American officials have conveyed their belief that King deliberately crossed the border, although they have not yet classified him as a prisoner of war.
North Korean investigators have also determined that King’s crossing was intentional and illegal, with the purpose of either residing in North Korea or seeking refuge in a third country, as stated by the state news agency KCNA.
According to KCNA, “During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army.” The report continues, “He also expressed his willingness to seek refuge in the DPRK or a third country, saying that he was disillusioned with the unequal American society.”
Following his crossing, King was placed under the custody of the Korean People’s Army. The investigation remains ongoing, as reported by the agency.
The KCNA report coincides with North Korean officials using instances of racism and social issues in the United States to counter U.S. criticisms. This comes in the backdrop of a scheduled United Nations Security Council meeting to address human rights concerns in North Korea.
Travis King, an individual of Black ethnicity, enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 2021. While stationed in South Korea, he faced accusations of assault, eventually pleading guilty to one such instance, along with charges related to damaging public property—a police car—during an incident marked by profanity-laden outbursts against Koreans, as per court documents. Further disciplinary actions were awaiting him upon his return to the United States.
King had already completed his military detention and was being transported by the U.S. military to the airport for his return to his home unit in the U.S. However, he chose to depart from this route, instead participating in a tour of the border region. Despite efforts by both South Korean and U.S. guards to halt him, King managed to cross the border.
