North Korea to Expel U.S. Soldier Travis King for Illegal Intrusion
SEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) – North Korea has announced its decision to expel American soldier Travis King, who has admitted to illegally crossing into the country and has expressed disillusionment with the unequal society in the United States, according to state media KCNA.
The decision was revealed in the final results of an investigation into King’s July border crossing, which was published by KCNA. Last month, interim findings reported that King had sought refuge in North Korea or elsewhere due to alleged maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. army.
“King confessed that he illegally intruded into the territory of the DPRK as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. army and was disillusioned about the unequal U.S. society,” KCNA stated.
DPRK, which stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is the official name of North Korea.
According to KCNA, authorities have decided to expel King under the country’s law, although specifics on how, when, and to where he will be expelled were not provided.
The U.S. State Department, the White House, U.S. Forces Korea, and the United Nations Command all have yet to issue a comment on the matter.
King, a private in the U.S. army, made a sudden dash into North Korea from the South on July 18 while on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area, which is located on the heavily fortified border between the neighboring countries.
Desertions and attempts to defect to North Korea by U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea have occurred in the past, but King’s expulsion appears to have been expedited compared to previous cases that took years to resolve.
Jonathan Franks, a spokesperson for King’s family, mentioned that no substantive comment is expected at the moment, as they need time to process the news.
In August, King’s uncle, Myron Gates, told ABC News that his nephew, who is Black, has experienced racism during his military deployment, and after spending time in a South Korean jail, he did not sound like himself.
King, who joined the U.S. army in January 2021, faced accusations of assault in South Korea. He pleaded guilty to one instance of assault and damaging public property by vandalizing a police car during a profanity-laced rant against Koreans, as stated in court documents. Further disciplinary measures were awaiting him upon his return to the United States.
After completing his military detention, King was transported by the U.S. military to the airport for his scheduled return to his home unit in the United States. However, he left the airport and joined a tour of the border area, where he made a dash across the border despite attempts by South Korean and U.S. guards to apprehend him.
Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Brendan O’Brien; Editing by Toby Chopra and Philippa Fletcher
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