The U.S. government says it is trying to contact North Korea from various angles to find out the safety of U.S. soldier Travis King, who defected to the North, but has yet to succeed.
North Korean authorities have secured the whereabouts of Private King, who crossed the military demarcation line, but have not confirmed anything since then, including his health and survival.
“Unfortunately, we have not received any response from North Korea. We have no idea where he is being held, including his condition, or what his health is like.”
For this reason, some are concerned that it may lead to a second Otto Warmbier crisis.
Warmbier, who was detained in North Korea in 2016 and released in a coma the following year, eventually died six days after his repatriation, and the U.S. has since designated North Korea as a travel ban.
Christine Wormers, Secretary of the United States Army, “I’m honestly worried. We all remember what happened when Otto Warmbier was detained in North Korea. It was obviously very cruel. It worries me very much that Private King is in the hands of the North Korean authorities.”
The U.S. side said it is important to grasp the safety of North Korean soldiers as soon as possible and said it will continue to try to contact the North.
Although he is a deserter, he stressed that his top goal is to bring him home safely regardless of whether he is illegal or not.
<Lee Kyung-hee / Washington correspondent> “The U.S. declined to comment on questions surrounding Private King’s activities on the day of his visit to North Korea and some reports that he planned to visit North Korea in advance.”
Private King, who is about to be repatriated to his home country for disciplinary action, also left the airport before boarding without any escort, signaling an investigation into the situation at the time, saying he could only be escorted before the security zone.