North Korea to Expel U.S. Soldier Travis King Who Crossed Border

North Korea has announced its intention to expel Pvt. Travis King, the U.S. soldier who attracted global attention when he crossed into North Korea in July. According to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, an investigation into King has been concluded. The North Korean report stated that King confessed to “illegally entering the territory of the Republic out of antipathy toward inhumane abuse and racial discrimination within the U.S. military, and disillusionment with the unequal American society.”

The announcement did not specify when King would be released or his destination. Both the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Defense have not yet commented on North Korea’s decision.

King’s journey into North Korea took place during a tour of the joint security area, a highly fortified border separating North and South Korea. The Pentagon previously described his crossing as “willful and without authorization.” At the time, King, 23, was a cavalry scout with the 1st Armored Division who had just completed a 47-day sentence in a South Korean prison for assault, stemming from an incident in which he allegedly kicked a South Korean squad car.

Notably, King has connections to Wisconsin, where his mother resides.

Previous cases involving detained Americans in North Korea have raised concerns about their treatment. Otto Warmbier, a college student, was released in 2017 in a vegetative state after 17 months of captivity and subsequently passed away. His parents alleged torture and brain damage. During Donald Trump’s presidency, three Americans detained in North Korea were freed in 2018.

North Korea, an isolated nation on the global stage, has conducted missile tests and nuclear bomb tests, increasing tensions with the U.S. In recent weeks, North Korea accused the U.S. of repeatedly violating its airspace. Relations between the two countries have become strained as North Korea continues its testing of nuclear weapons-capable long-range ballistic missiles, while its leader Kim Jong Un seeks closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he visited earlier this month. The White House believes that North Korea and Russia are on the verge of finalizing a secretive arms deal related to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.