The soldier Travis King 23 years old, crossed illegally North Korea from South Korea in the month of July. The Pyongyang government arrested him and imprisoned him. Two months later, he was transferred from US custody to China and then flown to a US military base. His return was organized with the help of Sweden, as confirmed by the White House.
American media captured the exact moment Travis King arrived in San Antonio, Texas. Escorted by American officials, the soldier arrived in his country where he will be medically evaluated before deciding on a punishment.
North Korea insists the soldier crossed the border to escape “inhumane mistreatment” by the US Army
In July, he was arrested by the North Korean government when the soldier crossed the border from South Korea, while joining a tourist contingent at the border. inhumane treatment.” ” and racism within the US military. The soldier became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years.
Upon his arrival in Texas, King will be transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, according to defense officials who spoke to US media. The authorities in that country confirmed that he will undergo a medical examination before taking any disciplinary action.
Return penalties
King has been in the military since January 2021 and is based in South Korea as part of a rotation. Before crossing the border, he had to serve a sentence for the attack in a South Korean prison. King is accused of assaulting two people and kicking a police car.
“Catch him!”: The details of the American soldier’s crossing into North Korea.
The reconnaissance specialist soldier was released on July 10. Eight days later he decided to cross the border. He was declared AWOL by the Army. In many cases, someone who spends more than a month in that situation is automatically considered a deserter.
Penalties for going AWOL can vary and depend in part on whether the service member voluntarily returned or was captured. The King’s surrender to North Korean authorities further complicates the issue.
The family is waiting for you
“We can confirm that Travis King he was very happy to go home and he really wants to be reunited with his family,” said a senior military official.
The soldier’s mother, Claudine Gates, said in a statement through her spokesman that she was “eternally grateful” to the US military and its partners “for a job well done.”
North Korea will extradite American soldier Travis King and the United States is requesting his return
The negotiation
Due to the lack of diplomatic relations between the United States and North Korea, the Swedish government intervened in the role of mediator to reach an agreement between the parties. Swedish officials traveled to North Korea and They escorted Travis King to the Chinese border.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Swedish embassy confirmed that Stockholm was acting “within its role as a protecting power” for the United States in North Korea during the negotiations.
Once in China, Private King was welcomed by US Ambassador Nicholas Burns, who said Beijing was playing “constructive role” but “does not mediate” liberation.
