Confirmation from Washington: Travis King had to be deported for disciplinary reasons
(LaPresse) The contours of the alleged arrest, in North Korea, of an American soldier who was visiting the border village of Panmunjom, located within the Demilitarized Zone, are still unclear. The US military has confirmed the news, but so far the Pyongyang authorities have not released any comment on the news. The second class soldier’s name is Travis King, 23, has been on duty since 2021 and would be the first known American detained in North Korea in nearly five years. But it is probable that King – a cavalry scout from the 1st Armored Division – defected and deliberately crossed the border between South and North Korea, before being arrested by the Pyongyang authorities in the Demilitarized Zone. King, in fact, had served almost two months in a South Korean prison for assault – he was released on July 10 – and was about to be repatriated for disciplinary reasons. He was supposed to leave for Fort Bliss, Texas, where he would face further military trial and discharge from service. At the airport, after passing through security checks, he would instead have fled, joining a group for a tourist visit to Panmunjom. Then the voluntary escape to North Korea, according to what was also confirmed by the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin. (LaPresse)
July 19, 2023 – Updated July 19, 2023, 12:04 am
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