US Soldier Travis King Back on US Soil After Months in North Korea

U.S. Army Pvt. Travis King, who intentionally entered North Korea in July, was safely back on U.S. soil early Thursday after being expelled from the country on Wednesday, officials said.

“U.S. officials have secured the return of Private Travis King from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK),” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

“We appreciate the dedication of the interagency team that has worked tirelessly out of concern for Private King’s wellbeing. In addition, 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,” Sullivan said.

A senior administration official on a background call with reporters said the U.S. had been engaged in “intense diplomacy” since King entered North Korea and communicating with Sweden on a “near-daily basis.”

Although China did not participate in the diplomatic negotiations, the country “played a very constructive role” in facilitating King’s transfer across its border with North Korea, according to a senior administration official.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday announced the country’s investigation had concluded and it would expel King.

The 23-year-old soldier joined a group of tourists visiting the Demilitarized Zone at the Joint Security Area in the village of Panmunjom on July 18, and as the tour came to an end, he sprinted toward North Korea. The country in August confirmed King was detained there.

The state’s official propaganda outlet on Wednesday reported that King “confessed that he illegally intruded” into North Korea due to “ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. army and was disillusioned about the unequal U.S. society.”

None of the statements attributed to King by the North Korean outlet have been independently verified.

It was initially unclear why King apparently defected to North Korea, though he was facing a possible dismissal from the Army after legal troubles in South Korea, per reports. King was accused of multiple assaults in South Korea, and was held in a detention facility until July 10. He was set to return to Fort Bliss, Texas, but never boarded his flight.

The Department of Defense has said that Pvt. King was officially considered AWOL, or absent without leave, an offense that could potentially be punished by time in the brig or dishonorable discharge.

A senior military official said King will be evaluated by an “experienced team” that will “guide him through a reintegration process.” He landed in San Antonio, Texas, early Thursday and was expected to be taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center.

Asked whether King would be court-martialed or discharged for his actions, the official said no administrative action will be taken until he is reintegrated.

“We’re going to focus, for the next several weeks or as long as it takes, to get Private King on good — on solid footing. And then we’ll address any administrative actions that may follow after the reintegration process,” the official said.

The United States and North Korea technically remain at war following the truce that ended the 1950–53 Korean War. Nearly 30,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in South Korea.