'Embarrassment': US army classification of soldier who fled to DPRK
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The soldier who crossed the demarcation line into the DPRK is classified as an "embarrassment" to the US military.
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Private Travis King (Facebook image)
Army private Travis King was classified by the US military as an "embarrassment" to the United States prior to his crossing into the DPRK, The Messenger reported on Thursday.
King was detained by DPRK last month after he unauthorizedly crossed the border from South Korea while touring the demilitarized zone.
According to the report, citing military personnel and papers, US Forces Korea labeled King as an "embarrassment to the United States" before he fled to DPRK.
Read: DPRK fires cruise missiles toward Sea of Japan: Seoul
King allegedly entered DPRK voluntarily and without permission, according to the Defense Department.
DPRK has been communicating on the matter through the UN Command.
Before leaving for DPRK, King was found guilty of several military offenses, including assaulting a Korean citizen, according to US media reports. On his return to the country, King was expected to face more administrative punishment, according to the reports.
The US soldier that crossed to the DPRK
King, a cavalry scout who joined the military in January 2021, was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, at the time of his duty in South Korea, as per Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee.
Although it remains unknown how long King had been in South Korea, US officials did say he faced disciplinary action for assault and spent 50 days in a detention facility, after which he was escorted to an airport for a flight back to the US.
However, at the airport, his escorts could not enter a security checkpoint with him, and King left the airport and made his way to the tour of the Joint Security Area.
King is considered to be the first US soldier to cross into the DPRK since 1982.
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