US Soldier Reportedly Seeking Asylum After Fleeing From South Korea To North Korea

On July 18, 2023, an American soldier named Travis King left the world perplexed after crossing the border between South and North Korea willfully. He was reportedly detained by North Korean authorities. A month after the incident, North Korea has broken their silence on this issue.

The Joint Security Area (JSA) at the DMZ between South and North Korea | Hankyoreh

On Wednesday, August 16, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported about the “interim findings of the investigation into US soldier Travis King.” According to the report, King, a Private 2nd class US military soldier stationed in South Korea, had intentionally crossed into the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea).

U.S. Army soldier Travis King | Reuters

The KCNA claimed that during the investigations conducted by the relevant authorities, King acknowledged his “unlawful intrusion” as deliberate, fueled by the “inhumane abuse” he faced in the US military.

Throughout the investigation, Travis King admitted to his deliberate decision to cross into the DPRK, driven by his resentment towards the inhumane abuse and racial discrimination within the US military.

— KCNA

The report also claimed that King wanted to escape American society and was determined to seek refuge elsewhere.

Travis King also expressed disillusionment with the inequities present in American society and articulated his intention to seek asylum either within our country or in a third country. The investigation is still ongoing.

— KCNA

The US Department of Defense responded to the reports saying it could not verify its truthfulness. Defense Department spokesman Martin Meiners told the media that their priority right now is King’s safe return home.

Seoul-based experts feel that North Korea’s statement was timed strategically to counter-attack the USA in the face of the upcoming open briefing at the UN Security Council that will address the human rights situation in North Korea. Lim Eul Chul, a professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University in Seoul, said this response could “potentially indicate North Korea’s intention to exploit King’s case as a challenge to the US’ human rights campaigns directed toward North Korea.“