White House thanks China, Sweden for US troops leaving North Korea

The US thanks Sweden and China for their assistance in repatriating defector Travis King from North Korea.

"We thank Sweden for its role in representing the United States' diplomatic interests in North Korea and thank China for its assistance in facilitating the transit of Soldier Travis King," US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on September 27.

Swedish Embassy spokesman David Lunderquist confirmed that Stockholm played a role in King's return. A US official said that China only helped facilitate King's transit from North Korea and was not a mediator in the negotiations.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington in February 2022. Photo: Reuters — US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington in February 2022. Photo: *Reuters*

North Korea had previously said it would deport King after he illegally crossed the border into the country. King was taken to China and handed over to US officials there, before being transferred to a US military base.

King is expected to be taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio when he returns home, two U.S. officials said. The medical center is the largest in the Department of Defense and provides PISA support, a program that helps Americans adjust to life after incarceration.

U.S. officials said King, 23, is stable, in good spirits and health and looking forward to returning home. Asked whether King would face charges or a court martial, an official stressed that the focus in the coming weeks would be on King’s health.

Private King, stationed in South Korea, was extradited to the United States on July 18 to face disciplinary action for his actions of fighting, assaulting, and vandalizing a police vehicle. However, after being escorted through airport security by two officers, King sneaked back and joined a group of tourists to the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the border between South Korea and North Korea, then crossed the border into North Korea.

Pyongyang confirmed on August 16 that it was holding King and that he wanted asylum because of "mistreatment in the military." The Pentagon said at the time that it could not verify comments attributed to King that were published in North Korean media.

King’s defection comes as tensions on the Korean Peninsula are running high. Relations between North and South Korea are at a standstill and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has repeatedly called for increased nuclear weapons development. South Korea and the United States have also increased defense cooperation in response, holding joint exercises involving advanced American equipment.

Ngoc Anh (According to CNN/AFP )

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