U.S. soldier detained after crossing North Korean border without permission

NYPost



An American citizen has been detained in North Korea after straying across the border into the Communist country without permission during a tour, the United Nations Command said Tuesday.

The detainee has been identified as Travis King, a US Army member with the rank of private second class, reported South Korea’s Dong-a Ilbo newspaper, citing South Korea’s army.

King was taking part in a visit to the Joint Security Area — the border village in the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas that is guarded by soldiers from both sides — when he reportedly crossed the border around 3:27 p.m. local time, according to local reports.

An eyewitness who was part of the same tour group as King told CBS News that they had just visited one of the buildings at the JSA village when “this man [King] gives out a loud ‘Ha, ha, ha,’ and just runs in between some buildings.



UPDATED

Two U.S. officials said the soldier detained was Private 2nd Class Travis King, who had just been released from a South Korean prison where he’d been held on assault charges and was facing additional military disciplinary actions in the United States.

King, who’s in his early 20s, was escorted to the airport to be returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but instead of getting on the plane, he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom, where he ran across the border, the officials said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a public announcement.

At a Pentagon press conference Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not name King, but confirmed that a U.S. service member was likely now in North Korean custody.

“We’re closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier’s next of kin,” Austin said, noting he was foremost concerned about the troop’s wellbeing. “This will develop in the next several days and hours, and we’ll keep you posted.”

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