https://sputnikglobe.com/20230720/us-army-report-offers-new-insight-into-rogue-soldiers-sprint-to-north-korea-1112002808.html
US Army Report Offers New Insight Into Rogue Soldier's Sprint to North Korea
US Army Report Offers New Insight Into Rogue Soldier's Sprint to North Korea
Sputnik International
The report details what, exactly, led up to the moment that caused King to sprint into North Korean territory.
2023-07-20T04:15+0000
2023-07-20T04:15+0000
2023-09-18T13:37+0000
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An internal US Army report on the rogue soldier who sprinted to North Korea has revealed what led up to Private Travis King’s decision to cross the Demilitarized Zone, and suggested the act may have been in the works for months.King, a cavalry scout who joined the US Army in January of 2021, had been held in a prison in South Korea for nearly two months for assault charges. He was also fined almost $4,000 for causing alleged public damage for kicking a police car as well as being uncooperative during his arrest.Then in May, according to the report, King booked two different tours of the popular demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, prior to his 50-day detention. Shortly after he was released from confinement, he confirmed his reservation with a private tour company called Hana Tours ITC after failing to secure the first reservation. On July 10, King was released from South Korean detention and returned to the US military. He was then booked on a one-way flight to the United States on July 17. Both US and Korean military escorts accompanied King to the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, where they witnessed him going through customs at around 4:30 p.m. local time.King then texted his US escort, an Army staff sergeant, and said he had arrived at his departure gate. But then at noon on July 18, US Army soldiers at Fort Bliss in Texas reported to King’s chain of command to inform him that King had not arrived, and was unresponsive to texts or phone calls. It was later verified by South Korean customs that King did not take that flight.Meanwhile, in South Korea, the tour that King joined began at around 2:30 p.m. at Camp Boniface, a military post under United Nation Command which is located south of the southern boundary of the Demilitarized Zone. About an hour into the tour, at 3:30 p.m., King walked away from his group before sprinting through a space between US and South Korean troops. As he was being chased by Security Forces, King is said to have run north to Panmungak. He then ran to the back of a Korean People’s Army building where he entered a van and was driven out of the area by North Korean troops, according to the report.A member of the tour group added that King was wearing civilian clothes and gave out a loud “ha ha ha" as he began sprinting away from the tour group.King’s family, particularly his uncle, reached out to reporters describing King as a quiet person who does not drink or smoke and enjoyed reading the Bible. His uncle believes a conversation he had with him, about the death of his son, may have caused King, who is 23, to spiral.“I was basically s******* on the family for not being here for me … when my son was going through what he was going through. And, and so I really didn’t have any encouraging words to give him because I’ve been upset with the family,” Carl Gates said, referring to a phone call he had with King. “He was saying that he was sorry, he loved us all. And that he is sorry that he couldn’t be here for me.”US officials are now speaking with South Korean officials and Swedish officials about King’s actions. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that “the White House, the Department of Defense, the State Department, and also the UN are all working together to ascertain more information and resolve this situation.”
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US Army Report Offers New Insight Into Rogue Soldier's Sprint to North Korea
04:15 GMT 20.07.2023 (Updated: 13:37 GMT 18.09.2023) King is considered the first US soldier to defect to North Korea since 1982, when US Army soldier Joseph White carefully made his way across the Demilitarized Zone all while reportedly calling for help in Korean and yelling that he was "coming."
An internal US Army report on the rogue soldier who sprinted to North Korea has revealed what led up to Private Travis King’s decision to cross the Demilitarized Zone, and suggested the act may have been in the works for months.
King, a cavalry scout who joined the US Army in January of 2021, had been held in a prison in South Korea for nearly two months for assault charges. He was also fined almost $4,000 for causing alleged public damage for kicking a police car as well as being uncooperative during his arrest.
“[King] was placed in pretrial confinement and then a Korean [Status of Forces Agreement] confinement facility. King served 50 days of hard labor at a Korean facility before his release on 10 JUL 2023,” the report states, which was exclusively shared by The Messenger News.
Then in May, according to the report, King booked two different tours of the popular demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, prior to his 50-day detention. Shortly after he was released from confinement, he confirmed his reservation with a private tour company called Hana Tours ITC after failing to secure the first reservation.
On July 10, King was released from South Korean detention and returned to the US military. He was then booked on a one-way flight to the United States on July 17. Both US and Korean military escorts accompanied King to the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, where they witnessed him going through customs at around 4:30 p.m. local time.
King then texted his US escort, an Army staff sergeant, and said he had arrived at his departure gate. But then at noon on July 18, US Army soldiers at Fort Bliss in Texas reported to King’s chain of command to inform him that King had not arrived, and was unresponsive to texts or phone calls. It was later verified by South Korean customs that King did not take that flight.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, the tour that King joined began at around 2:30 p.m. at Camp Boniface, a military post under United Nation Command which is located south of the southern boundary of the Demilitarized Zone.
About an hour into the tour, at 3:30 p.m., King walked away from his group before sprinting through a space between US and South Korean troops. As he was being chased by Security Forces, King is said to have run north to Panmungak. He then ran to the back of a Korean People’s Army building where he entered a van and was driven out of the area by North Korean troops, according to the report.
“I thought it was some kind of stupid stunt that he was doing for TikTok or something like that,” a tourist who witnessed King sprinting across the border, told UK media. "I thought that was an incredibly stupid thing to do in a place like that."
A member of the tour group added that King was wearing civilian clothes and gave out a loud
“ha ha ha" as he began sprinting away from the tour group.
King’s family, particularly his uncle, reached out to reporters describing King as a quiet person who does not drink or smoke and enjoyed reading the Bible. His uncle believes a conversation he had with him, about the death of his son, may have caused King, who is 23, to spiral.
“I was basically s******* on the family for not being here for me … when my son was going through what he was going through. And, and so I really didn’t have any encouraging words to give him because I’ve been upset with the family,”
Carl Gates said, referring to a phone call he had with King. “He was saying that he was sorry, he loved us all. And that he is sorry that he couldn’t be here for me.”
“I didn’t give my nephew a loving welcome, like ‘Everything is good with the family, they’ve been supportive!’ And this and that. I was more like: ‘f*** the family, they weren’t here for me, they weren’t here for your cousin.’ And I don’t know man. Maybe that triggered him to say, the hell with everything.”
US officials are now speaking with South Korean officials and Swedish officials about King’s actions. White House Press Secretary
Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that “the White House, the Department of Defense, the State Department, and also the UN are all working together to ascertain more information and resolve this situation.”
