North Korea claims U.S. soldier who crossed border left the army because of racism

Nearly a month after a U.S. solider crossed the border into North Korea without authorization, the country has publicly acknowledged the incident for the first time, confirming the detention of Pvt. Travis King.

North Korea claims that King, who served in South Korea before running across the border during a tour of the Joint Security Area, was escaping the U.S. military due to abuse and racism.

North Korea publicly confirms incident. What did they say?

A report released Wednesday from the official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, states that King “harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army.”

The report also claims that King was willing to seek refuge in North Korea or a third country because he was “disillusioned at the unequal American society.”

KCNA is the only news outlet in the country. The Associated Press referred to it as a “propaganda outlet” that is “carefully calibrated to reflect North Korea’s official line that the United States is an evil adversary.”

Who is Travis King?

King is a private second class and cavalry scout with the 1st Armored Division who was arrested by South Korea for assault and was scheduled to be escorted back to the United States, the Deseret News previously reported.

A U.S. official told CBS News that the “troop in question was being escorted back to the United States for disciplinary reasons, but after going through airport security, they somehow returned and managed to join the border tour.”

During the tour, King ran across the border between North Korea and South Korea, and was promptly detained by North Korea.

A U.S. Defense Department official told The Associated Press the Pentagon was “working through all available channels to bring King back to the U.S.”