US Soldier Facing Military Disciplinary Actions Flees To North Korea While Touring A Border Village
July 18, 2023 9:53AM PDT
FILE – A U.S. soldier stands outside of the Peace House, the venue for the planned summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a press tour at the southern side of the Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea on April 18, 2018. An American has crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea into North Korea, the American-led U.N. Command overseeing the area said Tuesday, July 18, 2023, amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. officials say an American soldier who fled across the heavily armed border from South Korea into North Korea had been facing military disciplinary actions.
Two U.S. officials say Private 2nd Class Travis King had just been released from a South Korean prison where he’d been held on assault charges and was facing military disciplinary actions in the U.S.
The officials say King was escorted to the airport to be returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but instead of getting on the plane he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom, where he ran across the border.
The officials spoke Tuesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a public announcement.
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