Travis King: North Korea ready to deport US solider who crossed border

North Korea has announced its intention to send back a US soldier who crossed into its territory from South Korea earlier this year. Private Travis King, a 23-year-old American serviceman, ventured into North Korea while visiting the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the secretive state from South Korea in July. This was in contrast to his original plan of returning to the United States a week prior. Before this, Private King had faced a run-in with local police, resulting in his detention by South Korean authorities for a month and a half. A South Korean government official reported that he was slated to face disciplinary measures in connection with this incident. However, instead of boarding a plane at Incheon, near Seoul, bound for Texas, Private King seems to have slipped away and joined a private tour group at the DMZ. Subsequently, he crossed the border without obtaining the necessary permissions. The official North Korean news agency, known as the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), disclosed on Wednesday that North Korean authorities have concluded their inquiry into King’s actions. According to KCNA, King confessed to unlawfully entering North Korea, citing “negative sentiments due to mistreatment and racial discrimination” within the US Army. He also expressed disillusionment with the unequal aspects of American society, KCNA added. The agency did not specify the timeline for King’s deportation from North Korea. It is noteworthy that King is the first American to be detained in North Korea in nearly five years. While there have been instances of US soldiers stationed in South Korea attempting to desert or defect to North Korea, King’s expulsion has occurred relatively swiftly compared to others who spent years in captivity before being released from the reclusive state. In July, King’s sister, Jaqueda Gates, expressed her disbelief, saying, “My brother, he’s not the sort to get entangled in such situations. It all appears rather fabricated.” She had been in contact with him just 48 hours prior to the DMZ incident.