American soldier liberated by North Korea returns home

US Army Private Travis King, who fled to North Korea in July, is on his way home. reports CNN, citing State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Assistant to the US President for National Security Jake Sullivan, in turn, thanked the Swedish government for mediation, since it was of interest to Washington in a diplomatic settlement of the issue with the DPRK, as well as China, which allowed King to be transported through its territory.

As the TV channel notes, King’s release represents a rare case of a successful diplomatic settlement of a problematic issue in relations between the United States and North Korea. The latter agreed to hand over the soldier to the Americans despite sanctions, as well as US criticism over rapprochement with Russia and ballistic missile tests.

On Sept. 27, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported that Pyongyang had decided to expel King, who fled to North Korean territory while touring the demilitarized zone on the border with South Korea on July 18, accusing the U.S. Army of racism against blacks, which he is.

King was handed over to the US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns at the border between North Korea and the PRC, where he was taken by Swedish diplomats, then he was transported to a US military base in South Korea, from where he was sent to the States. According to the Pentagon, King fled to North Korea on his own and without permission after being detained in South Korea for more than a week for a fight at a club in Seoul in 2022, where he beat a man.

The day before his escape to North Korea, he was supposed to fly to Texas, where they planned to take disciplinary measures against him. However, he managed to escape from the airport in Seoul and then joined a tour of the demilitarized zone run by a private company. From there he entered the DPRK. It is currently unclear whether he faces any additional punishment in the US or not.