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Did Travis King defect to North Korea? Mother of US soldier 'just wants him to come home’

The 23-year-old had been in a South Korean jail for almost two months before being freed on July 10

PAJU, SOUTH KOREA: The mother of a US soldier, who allegedly fled to North Korea after being released from a South Korean jail, has now claimed that her son has not gone voluntarily to the land of Kim Jong Un. As per reports, Travis King, who holds the rank of Private 2nd Class – the second-to-lowest rank in the US Army – had been behind a prison cell in South Korea for almost two months on assault charges for hitting a South Korean squad car.

He was, however, freed on July 10 and was bound to go back to Fort Bliss, Texas, to apparently face military disciplinary action. But he allegedly crossed the border to North Korea by becoming a part of a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom. The American-led United Nations Command shared in a statement, “A US National on a JSA (Joint Security Area) orientation tour crossed, without authorization, the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).”

Did Travis King defect to North Korea? 

King’s mother doesn't believe what the reports are saying about her son. Claudine Gates, from Racine, Wisconsin, said as reported by the Daily Mail, “I can’t see Travis doing anything like that. I’m so proud of him. I just want him to come home, come back to America.”

Meanwhile, the American-led United Nations Command continued in its statement, “We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and is working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident.” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also added, “We’re closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier’s next-of-kin and engaging to address this incident.”

‘No idea what he was thinking’

Several people have reacted to the news as a user shared, “It's utterly unbelievable how a soldier under punishment was given a tour of the sensitive border area. US Army gave him a chance to make a mockery of its image. In fact, Pentagon isn't concerned about Travis King but how many beans he can spill in North Korea. #TravisKing  #defected.”

Another user tweeted, “No idea what he was thinking but guessing NK will treat him as a spy. FAFO.” “I’m guessing this guy is mentally ill and that’s why he was being ‘escorted’ back to the US. Except he apparently had no escort. The same happened to my brother. Schizophrenic, Air Force put him on a plane alone from TX to NC, disoriented and sick,” the third one added.