White House admits it has no idea if US soldier who entered North Korea is safe
The White House has said there is no information about the condition of the US soldier who crossed the border into North Korea.
US Army Private 2nd Class Travis King, a 23-year-old soldier, crossed the border into North Korea from the Demilitarized Zone, leaving American officials puzzled about his location, condition, and the reasons behind his actions.
He was initially part of a tour group visiting South and North Korea but unexpectedly ran across the border. King was supposed to fly back to the US from Seoul but had pending administrative separation actions due to a previous altercation with locals.
The North Korean government has reportedly not responded to communication attempts, making it difficult to ascertain King's well-being or negotiate his return.
White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said during a briefing that there is no information about the soldier's whereabouts.
North Korea students get frostbite after 'patriotic' subzero mountain march
Travis King was part of a tour group visiting South and North Korea but unexpectedly ran across the border (AP)Mr Kirby said: "We don’t know where he is. We don’t know the conditions in which he’s living in right now.
"We’re still doing everything we can to try to find out his whereabouts, his well-being and condition and making it clear that we want to see him safely and quickly returned to the United States.
"We don’t have any updates to share with you — again, not for lack of trying. We just don’t have anything."
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh later told reporters that the whereabouts of King is unknown, as North Korea hasn’t responded to US outreach.
Ms Singh said: "Unfortunately, no, we have not heard any communication or correspondence from the North Koreans on this incident.
The White House has said there are no information regarding King's whereabouts (AFP via Getty Images)"We want to bring him home. We don’t know his condition, we don’t know where he’s being held, we don’t know the status of his health, but we are working with the interagency through the DOD, through the [National Security Council] and State, really pulling all levers of government here to try and find out more."
The situation reflects the deteriorated communication between the US and North Korea during the Biden administration.
Past cases involving Americans detained by North Korea have shown that the regime might be using this incident for diplomatic leverage.
However, King's situation is different, as he had legal problems and faced disciplinary action before crossing into North Korea.
Some experts believe that North Korea may use King as propaganda material, while others suggest the regime might seek to use him as a bargaining chip to extract concessions from the United States, possibly related to scaling back military activities with South Korea.
Kim Jong-un’s daughter appears at North Korean parade amid succession rumours
South Korean army soldiers pass by a military guard post near the border with North Korea (AP)The release of King could be complicated by the current high tensions between the United States and North Korea.
In the past, diplomatic efforts led to the release of detainees, but the recent escalation of weapons-testing activities by North Korea and increased military exercises by the United States may hinder the chances of an early release for King.
The United States may attempt to communicate with North Korea through the United Nations Command and the "New York channel," but given the prolonged diplomatic freeze, securing King's release could take a considerable amount of time, if it happens at all.
Ultimately, how North Korea handles the situation with Pvt. Travis King will depend on its own political objectives, and there is no certainty about the outcome at this point.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
