Before U.S. Army Private Travis King crossed the border into North Korea last month, U.S. Forces Korea had already classified him as “an embarrassment to the United States,” The Messenger reported. King, 23, was on a tour of the demilitarized zone when he bolted “willfully and without authorization,” according to the Pentagon. The young soldier had been preparing to return to the U.S. to face Army disciplinary action after spending two months behind bars in South Korea. He never boarded his flight to Texas. On Thursday, North Korea seemed to acknowledge to The Messenger that the country has King in its custody, with a UN Command spokesperson saying “KPA has responded to the United Nations Command with regards to [Private] King.” “In order not to interfere with our efforts to get him home, we will not go into details at this time,” the spokesperson added. Additionally, The Messenger learned that a senior Pentagon official has instructed staff members to use classified communications when discussing King.
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