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North Korea says US soldier fled because of racism in army
PYONGYANG, North Korea - North Korea has said US soldier Travis King crossed into its territory last month because of "inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination" in the army.
The 23-year-old private dashed across the border from South Korea on 18 July while on a guided tour.
Private King admitted to crossing illegally and wanted refuge in the North, state news agency KCNA reported.
It is the first time Pyongyang has acknowledged detaining the soldier. The claims have not been verified.
They appeared in a statement which has so far only been published by the government-controlled KCNA. It did not provide further details about Private King's health or whether the country would accept him as a refugee.
Concerns have been growing for the welfare of the US soldier, who has not been heard from or seen since his crossing.
The US is trying to negotiate Private King's release with the help of the UN Command, which runs the border area, and has a direct phoneline to the North Korean army.
Responding to the North Korean report on Wednesday, a Pentagon official said the US could not verify the claims and its priority was to have Private King brought home safely "through all available channels".
North Korea has given no information on how it plans to treat Private King but said the soldier admitted he had "illegally" entered the country.
The fact that North Korea's statement emphasised Private King's illegal entry suggests that it is not thinking of having him stay even if he wants to, said Christopher Green, a senior consultant at the think-tank International Crisis Group.
"That is not surprising. He would lose all his political value to them if that were the case," said Mr Green, but added that North Korea is in no rush to negotiate Travis King's return to the US just yet.
"They have very publicly thrown in their lot with Beijing and Moscow, as high-level delegation visits from both countries to Pyongyang in recent weeks show. It is a mistake to think that North Korea is or needs to be in a hurry to deal with the Travis King mess," he said.
The statement on KCNA did not say if he would face prosecution or punishment, and there was no mention of his current whereabouts or condition.
"During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK [North Korea] as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army," KCNA reported.
"He also expressed his willingness to seek refuge in the DPRK or a third country, saying that he was disillusioned at the unequal American society."
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