‘Just want him to come home’ Mother of US Army soldier Travis King who illegally crossed North Korea
King had served around two months in a South Korean jail on assault charges was believed to be in North Korean custody on Wednesday after crossing the heavily fortified border without authorisation, officials told AFP. King, 23, was a cavalry scout with the 1st Armored Division who had served nearly two months in a South Korean prison for assault. He was released on July 10 and was being sent home Monday to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he could have faced additional military discipline and discharge from the service.
The United Nations Command said he had been on a Joint Security Area (JSA) orientation tour, adding he was believed to be in North Korean custody and that it was working with Pyongyang's military to "resolve this incident". Prospects for King's early release are unclear, as some observers say it's likely for North Korea to use him for propaganda or a tool to win diplomatic concessions from the United States. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told journalists that Washington was "closely monitoring and investigating the situation".
North and South Korea remain technically at war as the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, with a Demilitarised Zone running along the border. Soldiers from both sides face off at the JSA north of Seoul, which is overseen by the United Nations Command. It is also a popular tourist site, and hundreds of visitors tour the South Korean side each day.
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