How a US soldier made a mad dash into North Korea
SEOUL/WASHINGTON – US Army Private Travis T. King had finished serving time in detention in South Korea and was being escorted to the airport to fly home and likely face disciplinary action. But he never made it to his plane.
Instead, he passed alone through security to his departure gate and then fled, one official said. The Korea Times, citing an airport official, reported that Pte King told airline workers he couldn’t board his flight because his passport was missing.
From there, Pte King, 23, somehow joined a civilian tour of the heavily fortified demilitarised zone (DMZ) dividing South Korea and the North, where he bolted across the border on Tuesday as American and South Korean guards shouted “Get him!” – but to no avail.
So began a bizarre odyssey that has created a fresh problem for Washington in its dealings with the nuclear-armed state.
Though stopping short of branding King a defector, the US military was scrambling on Wednesday to determine his fate, as well as his motive, after what officials said was a wilful, unauthorised crossing of the border that landed an active-duty American soldier in North Korean hands.
While much remains unknown, investigations by authorities from Seoul to Washington and witness accounts have begun slowly piecing together a picture of Pte King and what transpired.
Pte King, who joined the US Army in January 2021, had served as a Cavalry Scout with the Korean Rotational Force, part of the decades-old US security commitment to South Korea. His awards include the National Defence Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.
‘Breaking down’
But Pte King’s posting in South Korea was dogged by legal troubles.
A South Korean court ruling said Pte King pleaded guilty to assault and damaging public property stemming from an incident in October and on Feb 8 he was fined 5 million won (S$5,200). The ruling said King had punched a man in the face at a club on Sept 25 but the case was settled.
Then on Oct 8, police responded to a report of another altercation involving Pte King and tried to question him but he continued his “aggressive behaviour”, kicking the door of a police car he was placed in and shouting expletives, according to the ruling.
US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Pte King had been due to face disciplinary action by the military on his return home to Fort Bliss, Texas. It was not clear if that was related to the October incident.
The question of what drove Pte King to act as he did on Tuesday remains a mystery.
Pte King’s uncle, Mr Carl Gates, suggested that he had been in distress over the death of his seven-year-old cousin from a rare genetic disorder earlier this year.
SEOUL/WASHINGTON – US Army Private Travis T. King had finished serving time in detention in South Korea and was being escorted to the airport to fly home and likely face disciplinary action. But he never made it to his plane.
Instead, he passed alone through security to his departure gate and then fled, one official said. The Korea Times, citing an airport official, reported that Pte King told airline workers he couldn’t board his flight because his passport was missing.
From there, Pte King, 23, somehow joined a civilian tour of the heavily fortified demilitarised zone (DMZ) dividing South Korea and the North, where he bolted across the border on Tuesday as American and South Korean guards shouted “Get him!” – but to no avail.
So began a bizarre odyssey that has created a fresh problem for Washington in its dealings with the nuclear-armed state.
Though stopping short of branding King a defector, the US military was scrambling on Wednesday to determine his fate, as well as his motive, after what officials said was a wilful, unauthorised crossing of the border that landed an active-duty American soldier in North Korean hands.
While much remains unknown, investigations by authorities from Seoul to Washington and witness accounts have begun slowly piecing together a picture of Pte King and what transpired.
Pte King, who joined the US Army in January 2021, had served as a Cavalry Scout with the Korean Rotational Force, part of the decades-old US security commitment to South Korea. His awards include the National Defence Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.
‘Breaking down’
But Pte King’s posting in South Korea was dogged by legal troubles.
A South Korean court ruling said Pte King pleaded guilty to assault and damaging public property stemming from an incident in October and on Feb 8 he was fined 5 million won (S$5,200). The ruling said King had punched a man in the face at a club on Sept 25 but the case was settled.
Then on Oct 8, police responded to a report of another altercation involving Pte King and tried to question him but he continued his “aggressive behaviour”, kicking the door of a police car he was placed in and shouting expletives, according to the ruling.
US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Pte King had been due to face disciplinary action by the military on his return home to Fort Bliss, Texas. It was not clear if that was related to the October incident.
The question of what drove Pte King to act as he did on Tuesday remains a mystery.
Pte King’s uncle, Mr Carl Gates, suggested that he had been in distress over the death of his seven-year-old cousin from a rare genetic disorder earlier this year.
