WORLD U.S. soldier believed to be in North Korean custody after unauthorized border crossing, officials say
A U.S. soldier crossed into North Korea "willfully and without authorization" and was believed to be in the custody of the country's forces, U.S. and international officials said Tuesday. The United Nations Command, which operates the Joint Security Area within the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, first confirmed that an unidentified U.S. national had crossed the border.
U.S. officials tell CBS News the soldier in question is Private 2nd Class Travis King, who had served time at a military detention facility in South Korea and was released about a week ago to officials at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, the hub of U.S. forces in the country.
King was escorted to the airport in Incheon, near Seoul, for a flight back to the U.S. to be separated from the Army, the U.S. officials said. He parted ways with his escort at Customs and then didn't board the plane. After going through airport security, he somehow returned and managed to join a border tour group before crossing into North Korea, the officials said.
King had served about two months in a South Korean jail on assault charges, a South Korean official told the AFP news agency. According to South Korean media, he was accused of kicking the door of a police patrol car and shouting expletives at officers.
King has served in the U.S. Army since January 2021, Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee told CBS News.
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