North Korea says a U.S soldier crossed its border because of the racism in America

A U.S. soldier, Travis King, fled to North Korea last month citing racism and abuse within the U.S. military according to North Korean statement.

The key details: North Korea’s official news agency, KCNA, stated King admitted to illegally entering North Korea, driven by “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army”.
* King was previously arrested last October and convicted in South Korea for assaulting a citizen, damaging police vehicles and verbally abusing officers while intoxicated.
* Following his military service with the U.S. Army in 2021 as a private 2nd class and cavalry scout, King was expected to return to his unit in the U.S., but instead joined a tour of the demilitarized zone and crossed the border into North Korea.

History check: Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, a few U.S. soldiers have crossed into North Korea, occasionally becoming fodder for North Korean Propaganda.
* North Korea often highlights concerns over racism and inequality in the U.S. in an effort to defend its own human rights record against international scrutiny.

Diplomatic constraints: The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, and therefore cannot access Kingconsularly.
* The Swedish Embassy used to provide consular services to U.S. citizens in North Korea, but most foreign diplomats left Pyongyang during COVID and have not yet returned.

View original article on NPR

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