Pvt. Travis King entered the North while on a civilian tour of a Korean border village July 18, becoming the first American detained in the North in nearly five years.
Korea — North Korea asserted Wednesday that a U.S. soldier who bolted into the North across the heavily armed Korean border last month did so after being disillusioned with the inequality of American society and racial discrimination in the Army.
It was North Korea’s first official confirmation of the detention of Pvt. Travis King, who entered the North while on a civilian tour of a Korean border village July 18. He became the first American detained in the North in nearly five years.
The North Korean official news agency, KCNA, said King told investigators that he had decided to enter North Korea because he “harbored ill feelings against inhuman mistreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army.”
It said King also expressed his willingness to seek refuge in North Korea or a third country, saying he “was disillusioned at the unequal American society.”
KCNA is a propaganda arm of North Korea’s dictatorship and often releases statements and articles carefully calibrated to reflect the government’s official line that the United States is an evil adversary.
It is virtually impossible to confirm the authenticity of King’s comments reported in North Korea’s state media. The United States, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions. Some foreign detainees have said after their releases that their declarations of guilt while in North Korean custody were made under coercion.
“This is 100% North Korean propaganda in its element.
