Soldier In US Custody After North Korea Expulsion

Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July, is in U.S. custody after being expelled by North Korea into China, U.S. Officials have said on Wednesday.

North Korea’s KCNA State news agency said King had been expelled after admitting to entering North Korea illegally as he was “disillusioned about unequal U.S. society.”

A U.S. Official said King was in U.S. custody after being expelled by North Korea into China, but did not offer further details.

The expulsion decision was contained in the final results of an investigation into King’s July border crossing published by KCNA.

Last month it reported interim findings that he wanted refuge in North Korea or elsewhere because of maltreatment and racial discrimination within the Army.

“King confessed that he illegally intruded into the territory of the DPRK as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army and was disillusioned about the unequal U.S. society,” KCNA said.

DPRK are the initials of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Authorities have decided to expel King under the country’s law, KCNA said, but did not specify how, when or to where he would be expelled.

The U.S. State Department and the White House could not be immediately reached for comment.

REUTERS