Army private who entered North Korea is officially AWOL, Pentagon confirms

The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that the Army private who crossed into North Korea this week is official absent without leave (AWOL).

Private Travis King, 23, entered the country following his release from a South Korean prison, where he spent 47 days for assault and damaging a police vehicle. Pyongyang has not responded to U.S. calls about the matter. He reportedly joined a civilian tour of the border before running into the communist dictatorship.

King was on deployment in South Korea and was slated to return to his original unit in Texas, the Washington Times reported. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh confirmed to reporters that "[h]e was facing disciplinary actions once he returned home." During his deployment, King served as a cavalry scout.

His dramatic flight into North Korea began when he fled the Incheon International Airport near Seoul. He had been escorted to the security checkpoint but was permitted to proceed alone from there. He reportedly sent a message stating he was near the gate for his return flight, but instead snuck out and joined a tour headed for the border.

King had not been charged with a criminal offense at the time he fled.

The Department of Defense does not consider him a defector as of press time and North Korean officials have not publicly commented on the matter.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.