Karl Baron / CC
(Reuters) – Travis King, the American soldier who crossed into North Korea two months ago and who the country’s state media said had been expelled, is in U.S. custody, the AP reported on Wednesday, citing two U.S. officials.
According to a state-run news agency in North Korea, the government concluded its investigation into the expulsion of American soldier Travis King, 23, who had been detained by the DPRK after sprinting across the heavily guarded DMZ line in July while on a civilian tour.
King allegedly told the North Koreans that he fled into their country because he “had ill feelings against inhumane mistreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army” and “was disillusioned at the unequal American society.” King had reportedly received punishment for assault in South Korea and was about to be discharged from the U.S. military.
One official told the AP that King was transferred to U.S. custody in China.
(Reporting by Rami Ayyub; editing by Paul Grant)
