The U.S. Army expressed serious concerns today, Thursday, about how North Korea might treat Army Private Travis King, who defected to the country. The Army stated that Washington has utilized all efforts to communicate with Pyongyang, including United Nations communication channels.
U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, in her first public remarks on the issue, noted that it is still unclear why King crossed the border into North Korea, but suggested he may have been worried about facing further disciplinary actions from the Army upon his return to the United States. She added that there is no information indicating that the 23-year-old recruit sympathizes with North Korea.
Wormuth expressed her concerns during the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, citing the case of college student Otto Warmbier, who was held in North Korea for 17 months before dying in 2017 shortly after being returned to the U.S. in a coma. She remarked, "I am concerned about how they might treat him. So we want to get him back."
U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Sung Kim also indicated today that "Washington has been actively involved in securing the return of the American soldier who crossed into North Korea." His comments came ahead of a trilateral meeting scheduled in Japan with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea to discuss ways to address North Korean threats. Kim stated at the beginning of the meeting that "our country is working diligently to verify information regarding the safety of soldier Travis King and is in communication to ensure his safety and return." This meeting comes amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
