Travis King Wants Refuge From Racism In US – North Korea
North Korea has said that US Travis King wants refuge in the Country or in another Country due to ‘inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination’ in the United States and the Military.
A Private in the U.S. Army, King dashed into the North while on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas.
King admitted to crossing illegally and wanted refuge in the North, State media reported.
U.S. Officials have said they believe King crossed the border intentionally, and have declined so far to classify him as a prisoner of war.
Concerns have been growing for the welfare of the US soldier, who has not been heard from or seen since his crossing.
The US is trying to negotiate King’s release with the help of the UN Command, which runs the border area, and has a direct phone-line to the North Korean Army.
Responding to the North Korean report on Wednesday, a Pentagon Official said their priority was to have King brought home safely “through all available channels”.
North Korea has given no information on how it plans to treat King but said the soldier admitted he had “illegally” entered the country.
In the report, there was no mention of his current whereabouts or condition.
“During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK [North Korea] as he harboured ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army,” the State media reported.
“He also expressed his willingness to seek refuge in the DPRK or a third country, saying that he was disillusioned at the unequal American society.”
King is a reconnaissance specialist who has been in the Army since January 2021 and was in South Korea as part of his rotation.
Before crossing the border, he served two months in detention in South Korea for assault charges and was released on 10 July.
He was supposed to fly back to the US to face disciplinary proceedings but managed to leave the airport and join a tour of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which separates North and South Korea.
The DMZ, one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world, is filled with landmines, surrounded by electric and barbed wire fencing, and monitored by surveillance cameras. Armed guards are supposed to be on alert 24 hours a day although witnesses say there were no North Korean soldiers present when Private King ran over.
His family have previously told US media that he had relayed experiencing racism in the Army. They also said his mental health appeared to have declined prior to his disappearance.
“It feels like I’m in a big nightmare,” said his mother Claudine Gates, adding the family was desperate for answers.
North Korea is one of the few countries still under nominally communist rule and has long been a highly secretive and isolated society.
Pyongyang will most likely have relished the opportunity to highlight racism and other shortcomings in American society, especially given the international criticism it receives for human rights abuses.
The UN Security Council is due to hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the human rights situation in North Korea for the first time since 2017.
Ahead of its comments on Travis King, North Korean media had put out a statement on the UN meeting, which will be led by the US.
“Not content with fostering racial discrimination and gun-related crimes, the US has imposed unethical human rights standards on other countries”, it read.
REUTERS
