North Korean state media first reported on the illegal entry of US soldier Travis King from the Panmunjom joint security area into North Korean territory on July 18.
Travis King sought asylum in this country or other countries due to “inhuman and racist treatment” by the US military, North Korea's state media said.
As a private in the US Army, Travis King ran across the border between North and South Korea during a tour for civilians at the Joint Security Area on the heavily fortified border between the two countries.
US officials say they believe King deliberately crossed the border, and have so far refused to identify him as a prisoner of war.
North Korean investigators also determined that King had intentionally crossed the border illegally, with the goal of staying in North Korea or another third country.
"During the investigation, Travis King admitted that he decided to go to the DPRK because he was angry at the inhumane treatment and racial discrimination in the US army. He also expressed his willingness to seek asylum in the DPRK or a third country, saying he was disillusioned with the unequal society in the US," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
KCNA said Travis King was “taken under control by soldiers of the Korean People's Army” after crossing the border and that an investigation is still underway.
The Pentagon said on August 15 that it could not verify comments attributed to King by North Korean media and remained focused on getting King home safely. The agency did not say whether it had received additional information from North Korea.
Meanwhile, the White House has not commented. Previously, the US said Pyongyang did not respond to requests for information about the soldier.
A spokesman for the United Nations Command (UNC), which oversees the border village where King crossed, said he had no further comment.
The US military is still discussing confirming Travis King's "location".
As an active duty soldier, Travis King would likely qualify as a prisoner of war, since North and South Korea are technically still at war. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The Korean Peninsula is still a battlefield, with the UNC ensuring the armistice is properly observed.
However, some US officials said factors such as the fact that King deliberately crossed the border in civilian clothes may have invalidated his designation as a prisoner of war.
Travis King joined the US Army in January 2021 as a Reconnaissance Cavalryman with the Republic of Korea Transition Force.
However, this character encountered many legal problems while serving in the military.
Nguyen Quang Minh (Reuters)
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