U.S. Soldier Reportedly ‘Bolts’ Across Border Into North Korea

A U.S. soldier, who served nearly two months in a South Korean prison, reportedly “bolted” across the Korean Demilitarized Zone into North Korea, per the Pentagon.

The soldier, later identified as Pvt. 2nd Class Travis King, is believed to be in North Korean custody.

According to the Associated Press, he’s the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years.

“Private 2nd Class Travis King had been held on assault charges and was released on July 10 after serving his time. He was being sent home to Fort Bliss, Texas, on Monday, where he could have faced additional military disciplinary actions and discharge from the service,” AP states.

LATEST: The soldier who crossed into North Korea "without authorization" and is in custody in the country was identified as 23-year-old Pvt. Travis King, a U.S. official confirms. https://t.co/FDiFW8yG3T

— ABC News (@ABC) July 18, 2023

AP reports:

According to officials, King, 23, was taken to the airport and escorted as far as customs. But instead of getting on the plane, he left the airport and later joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom. He bolted across the border, which is lined with guards and often crowded with tourists, on Tuesday afternoon local time in Korea.

The Army released his name and limited information after King’s family was notified of the incident. But a number of U.S. officials provided additional details on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. It wasn’t clear how he got to the border or how he spent the hours between leaving the airport on Monday and crossing the border a day later.

At a Pentagon press conference Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the U.S. service member was likely now in North Korean custody.

“We’re closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier’s next of kin,” Austin said, noting he was foremost concerned about the troop’s wellbeing. “This will develop in the next several days and hours, and we’ll keep you posted.”

According to Army spokesman Bryce Dubee, King is a cavalry scout who joined the service in January 2021. He was in Korea as part of the 1st Armored Division.

“You know, what I can confirm and I would say upfront (is) that we’re very early in this event, and so there’s a lot that that we’re still trying to learn,” said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

“But what we do know is that one of our service members, who was on a tour, willfully and without authorization crossed the military demarcation line.”

“We believe that he is in DPRK custody,” he added.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed on Tuesday that North Korea had detained an American soldier, who was identified as Pvt. Travis King, after he illegally entered the country. https://t.co/tuvl9sBhpy pic.twitter.com/CjKTJyjXNc

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 18, 2023

NBC News added:

Pvt. 2nd Class Travis King was not wearing handcuffs when he was escorted by military police as far as they could go — a security checkpoint at Incheon Airport, a commercial airport about an hour-and-a-half away from the DMZ that separates South Korea from the communist country, a senior administration official told NBC News.

But instead of continuing alone to the gate and flying back to the United States, King tagged along with a group that had just arrived and was heading for Panmunjom, which is the Joint Security area in the middle of the tense border area guarded by North and South Korean soldiers.

When King took off, the United Nations Command security forces that had been escorting the tour chased him but could not catch him in time, Pentagon officials said earlier.