23-year-old soldier Travis King had served 47 days in a South Korean detention facility after an altercation with locals. When he was released, he spent about a week at a US base in South Korea under observation, reports say ABC News.
– He had been guilty of misdemeanors such as assault, vandalism on various occasions, says Bosse Lindwall, foreign affairs commentator.
The soldier was escorted Monday to Incheon International Airport to board a flight to Fort Bliss, Texas. This when disciplinary measures awaited him in the United States. However, the American military escorting him was not allowed to accompany him into the gate. Then Travis King took the chance to escape.
– A few hours later, he took part in a tourist trip that goes up to the militarized zone that separates South Korea from North Korea.
The witness: “Chased after him”
Sarah Leslie witnessed Travis King’s escape across the border into North Korea while on the same tour.
– Suddenly I noticed a guy running. A guy dressed in black was running at full speed towards the North Korean side and my first thought was “what an absolute idiot”. I assumed someone was filming for TikTok or something. But he just didn’t stop and kept going, she says and continues:
– Then the American and South Korean soldiers realized what was happening and chased after him and shouted for us to enter the building on the South Korean side. So we all ran but after that they didn’t catch him.
Travis King was arrested when he crossed into North Korea.
“Extremely dangerous”
Kent Härstedt, senior fellow of the National University of Singapore, has previously participated in negotiations regarding prisoners in North Korea.
– It is extremely dangerous to do it this way. North Korea has been closed now for just over three years and all international personnel from the UN and international organizations from all Western embassies are evacuated from North Korea. So there is no deployed staff there, he says and continues:
– It makes it very difficult to communicate with North Korea. Negotiations for prisoners of this kind are done on the spot, but it cannot be done that way this time.
Kent Härstedt also believes that one should bear in mind the twisted political situation where North Korea has sided with Russia in the Ukraine conflict against the USA and other countries.
Complicated situation
It is still unclear why Travis King fled across the border and how the situation will play out.
– There are many things that make this situation very complicated. You first have to see if he wants to be released and rescued, says Kent Härstedt.
Due to the circumstances, it may take time before the 23-year-old is released.
– All in all, this is a very complicated situation and I think it will take many weeks before we get clarity on how this issue should be handled. Hopefully we can be happy that he is safe enough to cross the border as it is associated with danger to life.
– In the next stage, in that case, long and many interrogations are held for a long time before any negotiation about the situation takes place. So it will take time before the situation is clarified.