Follow Us

North Korea not responding to calls about US soldier who crossed border, State Department says

King's family said the private could have felt inundated by legal problems and a possible military discharge. 

Published: July 20, 2023 10:47am

Updated: July 20, 2023 11:30am

North Korea is not responding to the United States' inquiries about Pvt. Travis King, the U.S. soldier who crossed the border into North Korea, the State Department said. 

The Pentagon reached out to North Korean army counterparts after King ran into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the border, but State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Wednesday at a D.C. briefing: "My understanding is that those communications have not yet been answered."

When a reporter asked if the U.S. had information about King's wellbeing, Miller responded: "We are still gathering information, but we do not have any of those details at this point."

He also said that the Biden administration is actively working to bring King home to his family.

King, 23, finished a 47-day prison sentence in South Korea earlier this month for assault and damaging a police vehicle while serving in the country as a cavalry scout, according to The Associated Press. King was escorted to the airport Monday, and the Army discovered he went missing after he did not get off the flight in Texas as planned.

It is unclear how King spent the time between being taken to the airport and touring the border village of Panmunjom on Tuesday.

King's family said the private could have felt inundated by legal problems and a possible military discharge. 

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

Just the News Spotlight

Support Just the News