The American soldier in North Korean custody skipped a one-way flight back to the U.S. before sprinting across the demilitarized zone and entering a van driven by North Korean troops, a “serious incident report” first obtained by The Messenger reportedly says.
U.S. Army Private Travis King, 23, “willfully and without authorization” crossed the border into North Korean territory on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters.
King, who joined the U.S. Army in January 2021, was involved in at least two separate episodes where South Korean police were brought in to intervene. In September 2022, King had a case settled after he was accused of punching a man in the face at a South Korean club. The following month, he was accused of acting aggressively toward police officers responding to a call about a fight, court documents obtained by Reuters show.
