American soldier Travis King, 23, who allegedly crossed the border into North Korea in July, has been transferred to US custody and is currently traveling back to the US, according to US officials.
King would be moved somewhere, according to a statement from North Korea’s official news agency published earlier on Wednesday. The statement claimed King had “confessed that he illegally intruded” into the country. However, the statement made no mention of the location or timing of King’s departure.
According to American officials, King was sent from China to the United States, where he was then turned over. King was traveling to a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas, an official from the Defense Department told NPR on Wednesday.
A senior Biden administration source, who requested anonymity when briefing reporters on the transfer’s specifics before it was made public, stated that Pvt. King “appears to be in good health and good spirits as he makes his way home.”
The negotiations for King’s release lasted for weeks. Washington employed alternative avenues, including Swedish diplomats, as North Korea and the United States do not share diplomatic ties.
The Pentagon and the White House both issued statements expressing gratitude to Sweden and China for their assistance in facilitating King’s transfer to American custody.
Additionally, officials worked to allay any doubts on what Washington might have given up for King.
“We made no gifts to them. In order to secure his return, we made no compromises, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
He claimed that although Pyongyang consistently rejects American diplomatic initiatives, Washington would welcome such efforts.
We made several attempts to get in touch with Travis King after he first entered North Korea. After rejecting our direct approaches, they eventually spoke with Sweden, who then spoke with us and assisted in negotiating this move, according to Miller. But I don’t think this indicates a major development. I believe their willingness to return this [Army] private is an exceptional case.
Miller claimed that King was taken to the China-North Korea border, where he met Nicholas Burns, the American ambassador there. He then took a State Department flight from Dandong, China, to Shenyang, China, and continued on to Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he was handed to the Defense Department, according to Miller.
African American King, according to the official Korean Central News Agency of North Korea, was “disillusioned about the unequal U.S. society,” reiterating past claims that King was open to seeking asylum in North Korea or another nation.
In August, King’s uncle informed ABC News that his nephew had encountered bigotry while serving in the Army. King enlisted in the Army in 2021, serving in South Korea.
King, who recently completed a prison sentence in South Korea for an attack, was scheduled to report to a military station in Fort Bliss, Texas, where he might face punishment.
King, though, skipped his flight and attended a tour of the Joint Security Area in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas that was open to the public. He then dashed across the border, where North Korean authorities promptly apprehended him.
Before they decide on the next steps in his case, U.S. officials said on Wednesday that he will receive medical and psychological care and be reunited with his family. He has already had communication with them.