US Soldier Detained in North Korea

[LadyL]

This man voluntarily entered North Korea. He was in the process of being sent back to America. I do not want any American soldiers or agents to be harmed trying to "free" him. He wanted to be there, let him be there.

but he may (I think likely) have a mental illness or at least had an episode

 

[LadyL]

I think of Otto Warmbier so often and the sadness has not lessened. I hope this man is out of North Korea by now. Unless, of course he chooses to remain there. That sounds absurd to me but today, not much surprises me. I agree that if he chose to be there and was competent when he made that choice then no one should put their life on the line.

I think of him often too. And his family.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

The Daily Mail is carrying the story now:

Eerie photo shows US soldier Travis King before dash into North Korea

Private 2nd Class Travis King, 23, is seen wearing a black top and hat purchased from a gift shop at the demilitarized zone as he stares across the border into the secretive communist country.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Fears grew for King's welfare on Wednesday morning as North Korea had still not produced the soldier or acknowledged his arrest. Unconfirmed reports have said King 'defected' and his mother spoke out overnight on Tuesday to say she couldn't fathom her son doing 'anything like that'.


King's mother, Claudine Gates, said last night she was 'so proud' of her son and added: 'I just want him to come home, come back to America.'

Gates, from Racine, Wisconsin, said: 'I can't see Travis doing anything like that.'

While it's understandable that a mother would love her son unconditionally, Travis was already causing some criminal issues, and imo he was troubled.
Whatever he is facing now ... is most likely worse than if he'd just boarded that plane and possibly faced a dishonorable discharge ?
Omo.

What he's facing now is most likely daily torture, extreme hunger, imprisonment, and forced labor. MOO

 

[sds71]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/asia/unc-conversation-begins-north-korea-travis-king-intl-hnk/index.html

A “conversation has commenced” with North Korea over US Army Pvt. Travis King, who crossed the border between North and South Korea last week in the demilitarized zone separating the two nations, the deputy commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) said Monday.

King, believed to be the first US soldier to cross into North Korea since 1982, had a history of assault, was facing disciplinary action over his conduct and was meant to go back to the US the day before the incident.

Gen. Andrew Harrison said the case of King is still under investigation and he could not provide further detail on the private, who the US military said “willfully and without authorization” crossed into North Korea while taking a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area, a small collection of buildings inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that has separated North and South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

“There is a mechanism that exists under the armistice agreement, whereby lines of communication are open between the UNC and the Korean People’s Army, and that takes place in the JSA. That process has started,” Harrison told journalists at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club.

 

[Ladyotm]

As much as I want this young man to return safely home to his loved ones, it is probably unlikely.
With so much publicity about his criminal actions in South Korea, imo, I can see the North eventually reporting that he was combative with authorities there. Imo, they will make him out to be a very bad prisoner.
His uncle has made claims that the death of his young cousin caused him to cut up. His cousin appeared to be sick for some time, but his death occurred many months after King was charged with crimes in S. Korea. I wonder what contributed to King's erratic behavior. Too much to drink, drugs, immaturity, mental illness, common mischief?
UNC has begun conversations about his release.

 

[abams]

This man voluntarily entered North Korea. He was in the process of being sent back to America. I do not want any American soldiers or agents to be harmed trying to "free" him. He wanted to be there, let him be there.

Yep, to me it appears a classic defector scenario.

 

[ErinC]

Time to send Dennis Rodman over to negotiate.

You jest, but it did occur to me that they might actually want to try this. Dennis Rodman has managed to talk sense into Kim before. I don't know that the powers that be will want to expend that much effort over someone who is, by all appearances, there voluntarily though.

 

[Inthedetails]

As much as I want this young man to return safely home to his loved ones, it is probably unlikely.
With so much publicity about his criminal actions in South Korea, imo, I can see the North eventually reporting that he was combative with authorities there. Imo, they will make him out to be a very bad prisoner.
His uncle has made claims that the death of his young cousin caused him to cut up. His cousin appeared to be sick for some time, but his death occurred many months after King was charged with crimes in S. Korea. I wonder what contributed to King's erratic behavior. Too much to drink, drugs, immaturity, mental illness, common mischief?
UNC has begun conversations about his release.

Whatever precipitated his actions, he did this himself. There is a line that you just don't cross, and the border of a hostile nation is that line, literally!

It's a horror to think what he might be going through. But in the end, this was on him. He wasn't lured, he wasn't pushed, but he ran away from the USA and laughed.

He ran further than our responsibility reaches.

jmo

 

[PrairieWind]

Whatever precipitated his actions, he did this himself. There is a line that you just don't cross, and the border of a hostile nation is that line, literally!

It's a horror to think what he might be going through. But in the end, this was on him. He wasn't lured, he wasn't pushed, but he ran away from the USA and laughed.

He ran further than our responsibility reaches.

jmo

I agree. I know the State Department has to try since he is a US citizen, but absolutely nothing should be exchanged for his release.

 

[thefragile7393]

but he may (I think likely) have a mental illness or at least had an episode

Not necessarily

 

[PrairieWind]

but he may (I think likely) have a mental illness or at least had an episode

I think that is unlikely, though it will certainly be used a defense for his actions. He is young, made it through school, recruitment, basic training, AIT, etc. He was able to get himself from the airport in Inchon up to the DMZ and Panmunjom. I don't think he was in the midst of a psychosocial episode.

 

[LadyL]

I think that is unlikely, though it will certainly be used a defense for his actions. He is young, made it through school, recruitment, basic training, AIT, etc. He was able to get himself from the airport in Inchon up to the DMZ and Panmunjom. I don't think he was in the midst of a psychosocial episode.

he was part of a tour group so he maybe had assistance to 'get himself there'

ETA: his troubles leading up to this could also indicate something else medical going on with him

 

[PrairieWind]

thought he was accompanied until and into the airport

My understanding is that he was escorted to the airport and inside. I assume they escorted him to the security checkpoint. Then he must have left, and somehow made it from Inchon airport clear up to Panmunjom. I am betting there a lot of ROK army officers that are having to answer a LOT of questions right now as to how this young man was able to get up to this very restricted area. And the ROK army isn't very forgiving. I would also hope that whoever in the US Army made the decision to just drive this guy to the airport and call it good is also getting grilled. There is a lot in play here as to what happened with this guy. I imagine the South Korean government isn't very happy about the way this all played out.

 

[thefragile7393]

he was part of a tour group so he maybe had assistance to 'get himself there'

ETA: his troubles leading up to this could also indicate something else medical going on with him

not likely anything medical going on, otherwise he would have been in medical care

 

[Sjöberg]

To me, it sounds like he did not want to face the consequences of his own actions and instead did something rather far-fetched. Which is a common behaviour in young kids, but very worrysome in adult men.

Considering that the average americans view of North Korea is likely to be almost as biased as the average north-koreans view of America, I think he simply imagined he could just live a lawless life there, either "in some remote place" or "becoming a big major, because I am an american can enlighten them fools about technology and such". And I don't think he is of any real use to North Korea. Which might mean, that his days are numbered.

 

[annpats]

Did he actually sign up for this tour somehow online, once he left the airport?

Or did he see the tour group at the airport while he was there, and attach himself to them? Did they get talking to him, and him where they were going? So he just tagged along?

But surely the tour guid would know how many were in the group and how many spaces were taken on the bus.
They're always counting people on and off, making sure noone is left behind.

If they have one person extra, it'd be obvious someone is a stowaway!

 

[thefragile7393]

Did he actually sign up for this tour somehow online, once he left the airport?

Or did he see the tour group at the airport while he was there, and attach himself to them? Did they get talking to him, and him where they were going? So he just tagged along?

But surely the tour guid would know how many were in the group and how many spaces were taken on the bus.
They're always counting people on and off, making sure noone is left behind.

If they have one person extra, it'd be obvious someone is a stowaway!

likely the second. He likely joined long enough to get close to the zone where he could take off. The tour guide likely wasn't doing a head count at that point

 

[lonetraveler]

I think of Otto Warmbier so often and the sadness has not lessened. I hope this man is out of North Korea by now. Unless, of course he chooses to remain there. That sounds absurd to me but today, not much surprises me. I agree that if he chose to be there and was competent when he made that choice then no one should put their life on the line.

Otto Warmbier, such a heartbreaking way to end.

 

[annpats]

likely the second. He likely joined long enough to get close to the zone where he could take off. The tour guide likely wasn't doing a head count at that point

How did he get from the airport to....where? Straight to the DMZ area??
Surely you'd have to go into Seoul City centre first.

Or did he get on the tour groups bus at the airport?

Seems a very brazen and weird thing to do. Most tour guides would know he wasn't on their trip. They have names and total numbers booked on.

 

[lonewanderer]

So a man was being flown home for military discipline but there was no reason to send an escort with him? He was trusted to get on the plane and then behave on the plane?

jmo

This is the Army we are talking about....I was in for 13 years.

Here is some insight based off of my experiences:

Quite often, the person being "escorted" is usually being "escorted" by lower level NCOs (non-commissioned officers) that are not trained in any type of prisoner transportation. They likely have a regular MOS (like mechanic, truck driver etc) and are being tasked with the escort. The person being escorted is usually not in any type of restraint and is being fairly loosely watched.

It may be different case by case, but one soldier I was stationed with at Fort Campbell was simply placed in a government van, and a couple SSGs that knew him "escorted" him to Leavenworth. Drove about 8 hours, dropped him off, then drove back home because it was the unit's responsibility.

It is highly likely that the "escorts" he had were guys picked to do it, and weren't exactly thrilled to be babysitting a knucklehead, just ready to send him on his flight and have the headache gone.

I am currently a contractor in South Korea. I have taken the flight to and from a total of 6 times. Ditching your escorts at Incheon airport would be pretty easy.

In addition to this, I would be willing to bet that his escorts may not have even been NCOs, but maybe even SPCs or privates. I have seen many, many times with soldiers stationed in South Korea that tasks get handed down, handed down, then handed down some more.