Travis King was identified as the American soldier being detained in North Korea after crossing into the communist nation at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) from South Korea on Tuesday. U.S. military officials said the man was facing disciplinary action due to assault and property damage charges.
King, 23, crossed the border into North Korea on his own accord, Pentagon officials said. The soldier had reportedly been disciplined for assault in South Korea and was facing further disciplinary action in the U.S., reported the Daily Wire.
In September 2022 and again in October, King was involved in encounters, which required South Korean police officers to intervene.
In the September incident, King reportedly punched a man in the face at a local club. In October, he was accused of acting aggressively toward police officers responding to a call about a fight, court documents obtained by Reuters revealed.
Hence, he faced two assault allegations and was fined by a South Korean court for damaging a police car, according to a court ruling and a lawyer who represented him.
The South Korean court said during the incident that King shouted profanities aimed at officers and citizens while also damaging the police car when he was taken in for questioning.
“King pleaded guilty to assault and destruction of public goods stemming from an October incident, and on Feb. 8 the Seoul Western District Court fined him 5 million won ($4,000),” Reuters reported.
King served nearly two months in a South Korean jail for assault before he was released July 10. He was scheduled to travel home next Monday to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he could have faced additional military discipline and discharge from the service, according to the Associated Press.
The Army soldier was a cavalry scout assigned to the 1st Armored Division. On Tuesday, he was dressed as a civilian and among 43 tourists that left in the morning from Seoul to visit the DMZ.
“We believe he is currently in [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] custody and are working with our [Korean People’s Army] counterparts to resolve this incident,” U.S. Forces Korea spokesperson Col. Isaac Taylor said, adding that the entry into North Korea was done “willfully and without authorization.”
One witness noted that King ran across the border yelling “ha-ha-ha,” the New York Post reported.
“I assumed initially he had a mate filming him in some kind of really stupid prank or stunt, like a TikTok, the most stupid thing you could do,” a New Zealand tourist named Leslie told the AP. “But then I heard one of the soldiers shout, ‘Get that guy.’”
