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US soldier Travis King defects to North Korea, his mother claims such risky behavior is unlike her son
Mother of Travis King, the US soldier who defected to North Korea says that she can't imagine her son “doing anything like that”
Private 2nd Class Travis King, 23, was stationed in South Korea when he crossed the heavily fortified inter-Korean border to enter North Korea. It is believed that he is currently detained in North Korea.
Travis King’s mother has recently spoken up as she expressed her “shock” at her son’s unusual behavior. She explained how risky behavior was unlike her son.
“I can’t see Travis doing anything like that,” Claudine Gates, of Racine, Wisconsin, told ABC News. She said that she last heard from her son “a few days ago.”
"I'm so proud of him. I just want him to come home, come back to America."
In South Korea, King was facing disciplinary action and served time in prison for assault charges.
The Army Private was set to return to Fort Bliss to face military action after serving his South Korean sentence. However, he failed to make it to his plane back to the US and left the airport instead.
Later, he joined a tour of Panmunjom and the de-militarised zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea.
Recently, tensions between nations have worsened as Kim Jong-Un has been increasingly aggressive towards Washington amid the country’s record missile testing spree.
North Korea launched its banned intercontinental ballistic missiles which are capable of delivering nuclear warheads in American cities.
US Forces Korea spokesman Colonel Isaac Taylor said that King crossed the border “willfully and without authorization”. He was allegedly laughing as he ran off.
A statement by the UN Command said.“A US National on a JSA (Joint Security Area) orientation tour crossed, without authorisation, the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).”
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said that Washington was "closely monitoring and investigating the situation".
"There's a lot that we're still trying to learn,” he added.
While North Koreans defecting to South Korea is a common occurrence, Americans or South Koreans rarely defect to North Korea.
Authorities have reportedthat “we are working with KPA (North Korean Army) counterparts to resolve this incident”.
