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Travis King pictured with tourists moments before fleeing into North Korea as US scrambles for answers on soldier’s fate
US Army soldier Travis King has been pictured alongside a group of tourists moments before bolting into North Korea.
King, 23, was detained by North Korean forces after making an unauthorized venture into 's dictatorship during an orientation tour to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
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The Private 2nd Class solider was with a group of tourists visiting the Joint Security Area, also known as Panmunjom, on the border between the two Koreas when he unexpectedly sprinted across the heavily fortified frontier, according to the .
A woman who was on the tour said she initially thought King's dash was a stunt and that she and others in the group were shocked by what followed.
The Panmunjom is infamously known as the "Bridge of No Return," where numerous prisoner swaps are made.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the 23-year-old soldier, who joined the US Army in 2021, "wilfully and without authorization" crossed into .
"We believe that he is in (North Korean) custody and so we're closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier's next of kin," Austin added.
North Korean leadership has yet to comment on the incident.
King was stationed in and was due to fly back to the United States to face disciplinary action after facing accusations of assault and damaging a police vehicle in an incident last October, according to .
A court fined him 5million won ($3,950) in February after convicting him of assaulting a 23-year-old at a Seoul nightclub and damaging a police vehicle.
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King's mother, Claudine Gates, who lives in Racine, , told ABC affiliate that she was shocked when Army officials told her that her son had fled.
"I can't see Travis doing anything like that," Gates told the outlet.
It's unclear how long North Korean authorities will hold King.
A motive for King's actions has yet to be determined.
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