On July 18, the 23-year-old private ran from South Korea across the border while on a tour.The UN Command declared that it will withhold further information regarding Pyongyang’s response at this time.
It stated that it “did not want to interfere with the efforts to bring him home”.
The response, though, suggests Pyongyang might be prepared to begin talks.
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)’s UN Command, which maintains order there, had inquired about Private 2nd Class (PV2) King utilizing the Joint Security Area’s direct phone connection to the North Korean Army (KPA).
“With reference to PV2 King, KPA has answered to the United Nations Command. We won’t go into details at this time to avoid getting in the way of our attempts to send him home,” the statement stated.
The request has previously been acknowledged by the North Koreans, but this is the first time they have answered to let us know the US soldier is in their care.
PV2 King’s captivity has not been publicly recognized by North Korea.
PV2 King spent two months in custody in South Korea prior to crossing the border due to assault-related allegations. The 10th of July saw his release.
Despite being scheduled to return to the US to face disciplinary action, he managed to escape the airport and sign up for the DMZ trip.
He was in South Korea as part of his rotation as a reconnaissance expert who had been in the army since January 2021.
One of the most strongly defended places in the world, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) divides the two Koreas.
It is encircled by electric and barbed wire fencing, security cameras, and landmines. Guards with weapons are expected to be on duty around-the-clock.
Since the Korean War of the 1950s, when the US aided the South, the DMZ has divided the two nations.
As a result of the armistice that terminated the conflict, the two sides are still formally at war. There are still tens of thousands of US soldiers in the South.
Due to the lack of diplomatic ties between the US and North Korea, negotiations are frequently carried out by the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang on behalf of the US. Due to the continued border closure since the outbreak, its diplomatic staff is now not in the nation.The military of South Korea and the UN Command, which oversees the border region, both have direct phone lines to the military of North Korea, which they call each day to check in, albeit the North Koreans do not always answer.
Several Americans who entered North Korea illegally in recent years have been released within six months, barring those who were found guilty of crimes there.
For US President Joe Biden, the soldier’s arrest is a serious foreign policy concern. The sole American detained by North Korea at the moment is thought to be PV2 King. Six South Koreans are still being held there.
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