US Army Private Travis King Released from North Korea and Returned to US Custody

US Army Private Travis King has been returned to American custody after weeks of being detained in North Korea, according to two US officials. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed the news, expressing gratitude to the interagency team and the governments of Sweden and China for their assistance in securing King’s release. North Korean state media KCNA previously reported that the secretive state had decided to expel King following its investigation into his case. The US officials stated that King’s release was the result of intense diplomacy between multiple countries, culminating in his transfer across the border into China and onward to US custody. King is expected to be taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio upon his return to the US, where he will receive necessary medical support and assistance in transitioning back to normal life. While the officials could not provide a specific timeline for King’s travel to the United States, they stated that it would be relatively soon. The Pentagon acknowledged the role of the Chinese and Swedish governments in securing King’s release and expressed appreciation for their assistance. King’s release came after the US received word from Sweden, its protecting power in North Korea, that Pyongyang wanted to release him. King’s mother expressed gratitude for the efforts to free her son and requested privacy for the family. US military officials have stated that King crossed into North Korea without authorization and willfully. King had been released from a detention facility in South Korea just over a week before the incident. The focus now, according to officials, will be on King’s health and wellbeing as he undergoes the reintegration process. The officials facilitated a phone call between King and his family, and he is said to be looking forward to being reunited with them. North Korea claimed that King had “confessed” to illegally intruding into their territory due to dissatisfaction with the US army and society, though CNN cannot verify these claims.