Pyongyang breaks its silence regarding Travis King and confirms his presence in the country
MADRID, 16 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
North Korean authorities have confirmed that US soldier Travis King, who crossed the border illegally in mid-July, is in the country and has sought asylum due to “mistreatment” and “discrimination” by the US Army.
“In the Panmunjom demilitarized zone (…) an incident occurred in which Travis King, a private second class of the US Army in South Korea, illegally entered North Korean territory. (…) King , which was accompanying tourists to the Panmunjom joint security area, was taken under control by serving KPA soldiers while deliberately breaking into the area on the North Korean side,” read a statement published by the North Korean news agency. KCNA.
According to the country’s authorities, King has admitted that his entry into the country was illegal and that he decided to do so because of his “resentment against the inhuman mistreatment and racial discrimination” practiced by the US Army, as well as his disillusionment with the “unequal” society of USA.
Based on this, the soldier would have expressed his desire to seek refuge in North Korea or in a third country.
King crossed the Military Demarcation Line as a civilian one day before his scheduled return to the United States, where he was to face disciplinary action for his misbehavior while deployed in South Korea, where he was eventually detained for several days.
So far, nothing has been heard from King. US Army sources had said there was no indication the soldier was trying to defect and that he would be decommissioned once he landed on US soil.
