North Korea says detained American soldier crossed border due to racism in US army

Asia-Pacific, News, US August 17, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

North Korea has released its first public acknowledgment of the U.S. soldier, Travis King, who was captured after crossing the border from South Korea. Pyongyang released a statement on August 16, 2023, claiming that King fled from the “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” in the U.S. Army seeking refuge in North Korea.

A U.S. Army Private named Travis King, stationed in South Korea, ran across the border into the North Korean territories on July 18, 2023. He was attending a public tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the heavily fortified border between the two rival neighbors. The U.S. administration states that the King’s border crossing was his personal choice and declined to declare him as a prisoner of war.

North Korea’s state-owned media outlet, KCNA, released Pyongyang’s first public acknowledgment of King’s capture after concluding its investigation.

According to the statement, the North Korean investigators have concluded that King’s border crossing was deliberate and illegal, with an intent to stay in North Korea or a third country. The statement also said that the 23-year-old African-American U.S. Army soldier fled to North Korea seeking refuge from racial discrimination and inhumane treatment by the military forces.

“During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army,” KCNA said, using the North’s official name. “He also expressed his willingness to seek refuge in the DPRK or a third country, saying that he was disillusioned at the unequal American society,” the statement added.

*^{U.S. Army soldier Travis King appears in this unknown location, undated photo. (Image Credit: Reuters)}*

North Korea broke its nearly month-long silence on the matter through the statement which highlighted that King cooperated with the investigators after being captured and he was “kept under control by soldiers of the Korean People’s Army”.

Following the border crossing incident, Travis King’s family claimed that he was indeed experiencing racism. His Uncle, Myron Gates told some local news agencies that he complained about discrimination during his military deployment in South Korea and also spent some time in the South Korean jail.

So far, neither the U.S. officials nor Travis King’s family has been able to get in contact with him. The Pentagon said that it could not verify the King’s comments released by the KCNA, and remains focused on his safe return.

For decades, Pyongyang has highlighted racial discrimination and social problems in the U.S. and other Western countries to push back the criticism. The timing of KCNA’s report about racial discrimination in America coincides with similar statements given by North Koran officials regarding the United Nations Security Council meeting that was aimed at discussing human rights violations in North Korea.

United Nations Security Council meeting about North Korea’s human rights is set to be held on August 17, North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong called plans for the open meeting “despicable”, accusing the United States of advancing its own agenda by leading the effort.