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August 16, 2023

North Korea Acknowledges U.S. Soldier Travis King Crossed the Border, Claims He Was Fleeing Racism
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Pyongyang made its first public statements on Private Travis King, the
U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea on July 18 while on a guided
tour of the Demilitarized Zone and has not been heard from since. North
Korean state media reported Tuesday that King, who is Black, fled to the
country in order to seek refuge from racism in the U.S. military. Travis
King's family has told reporters he had spoken about the racism he faced
as a soldier, and called the situation "a big nightmare." King had spent
two months in a South Korean jail on assault charges and was due to
return to the U.S., where he faced disciplinary procedures.


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