2023-09-29 05:01:00
Soldier Travis King returned to the United States after being released by North Korea and is undergoing medical evaluation at a military facility, a US Department of Defense official reported this Thursday. “The military is now focused on ensuring the well-being and privacy of the soldier. His status will be addressed later by the chain of command,” spokesman Bryce Dubee told AFP.
China provided the “necessary assistance” for the soldier’s release at the request of North Korea and the United States, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said Thursday.
U.S. military officials claimed King crossed into North Korea in July “intentionally and without authorization.” He had been released just over a week earlier from a detention center in South Korea, where he ended up after an incident at a Seoul club in which he punched a person in the face in October 2022, according to documents. judicial.
Last month, North Korea confirmed that it was retaining the soldier and added that King had defected to that country to escape “mistreatment and racial discrimination in the US military,” but after investigating the matter, Pyongyang “decided to expel Travis.” King,” according to the North Korean state news agency KCNA.
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