By Aneri Upadhyay
Staff Writer
Sept. 27 marked the release and return of Travis King, a United States soldier who was taken into North Korean custody this summer.
King is a 23 year old soldier who crossed into North Korea from South Korea according to NPR. He joined the Army in 2021 and is a private second class and cavalry scout.
As reported by NPR, North Korea agreed to release King after he confessed to illegally intruding into the country. He was transferred to China, where he met with United States officials. A senior Biden administration official spoke on the current state of KIng.
"Pvt. King appears to be in good health and good spirits as he makes his way home," the anonymous source said.
King’s release was discussed among the United States and North Korea for weeks, with Sweden acting as diplomats.
There have been suspicions that something was exchanged in return for King’s release but U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, disputed that.
“We did not give them anything. We made no concessions as a part of securing his return," he said.
As stated in AP News, due to the fragile relationship between North Korea and the U.S., it is still unclear why North Korea released King.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan thanked Sweden for their diplomacy.
“We thank the government of Sweden for its diplomatic role serving as the protecting power for the United States in the DPRK and the government of the People’s Republic of China for its assistance in facilitating the transit of Private King,” he said according to AP News.
Although he is now in U.S. custody, King still faces repercussions from the army, who have declared him as “absent without official leave”. This can lead to military jail or paying for a dishonorable charge.
Why did King cross into North Korea? The Korean Central News Agency reported that the soldier stated he “ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” in the U.S. Army and was “disillusioned about the unequal U.S. society.”
According to the New York Times, King was held for a total of 70 days in North Korea.
Washington did not label King as a “prisoner of war,” and North Korea handled the case as one of illegal immigration as stated in Reuters.
Since this incident, the relationship between North Korea and the United States has only gotten tenser, with a recent Pentagon report being released.
According to AP News, the Pentagon released its “2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction,” which stated that North Korea is a persistent threat due to its weapons of mass destruction.
North Korea retaliated with this claim by stating that any U.S. aggressions will be met with “the most overwhelming and sustained response strategy.”
The U.S. consequences of King’s actions are still to be determined. For now, he is safe in Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas. As for the volatile relations between North Korea and the United States, it is still unknown how the tension will progress.
