North Korean Defector U.S. Soldier's Face Revealed... Mother Says, "That Can't Be True, Come Back"

Past Assault Record of Korean Individual

The face of Travis King (23), a U.S. soldier stationed in South Korea who defected to North Korea while touring the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom, has been revealed. King's mother expressed shock in an interview with local media, saying she "could never have imagined (her son) would do such a thing."

On the 18th (local time), WISN-TV, an ABC affiliate in Wisconsin, USA, revealed the face of Travis King (23), stating that he is from Racine County, Wisconsin, and introduced an interview with King's mother.
[Photo by WISN-TV]

According to WISN-TV on the 18th (local time), King's mother, Claudin Gates, said in a broadcast that upon hearing about her son's defection to North Korea, "My son would never do such a thing," and added, "I am proud of my son. I just hope he returns to his home in the United States."

Earlier, on the 18th, King crossed the Military Demarcation Line and defected to North Korea while part of a group touring the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin officially confirmed at a Department of Defense press conference following a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting that the U.S. soldier who defected crossed into North Korea of his own volition. It is extremely rare for a foreigner to defect to North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency and legal sources on the 19th, King was accused of kicking the right rear door of a patrol car multiple times, damaging it, after boarding the vehicle responding to an assault report in Mapo-gu, Seoul, around 3:46 a.m. on October 8 last year. The repair cost for the patrol car was reported to be approximately 584,000 KRW.

Arrested in flagrante delicto, he reportedly shouted "Fxxx Korean, fxxx Korean army" while kicking the door in the back seat of the patrol car and refused to answer police officers' questions about his personal information.

The Seoul Western District Court sentenced Private King to a fine of 5 million KRW in February.

Neither Private King nor the prosecution appealed the verdict, so the judgment was finalized as is.

At the time, the court stated, "He must bear appropriate responsibility for damaging the patrol car's rear door," but also considered that "he had no prior criminal record for similar offenses, showed remorse, and deposited 1 million KRW to compensate for damages."

Private King was also indicted for repeatedly hitting the face of a Korean individual during an altercation while drinking at a club near Hongdae in Mapo-gu on the morning of September 25 last year.

The court consolidated this case for trial but did not punish him as the victim expressed a desire not to press charges.

"He laughed loudly and then ran between the Panmunjom buildings"

In October last year, a United Nations Command (UNC) soldier was standing guard at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom.
[Photo by AFP/ Yonhap News Agency] (This photo is not directly related to the article)

Meanwhile, King was detained in a detention facility for 47 days and was monitored for about a week at a U.S. military base in South Korea after his release. He was scheduled to undergo additional disciplinary procedures at Fort Bliss, Texas, after being repatriated to the U.S.

However, King escaped after being escorted at the airport, did not board the plane, disguised himself as a civilian to join the JSA tour, and suddenly crossed the Military Demarcation Line to defect to North Korea.

An eyewitness who was part of the same tour group said, "It was when we were touring a building at Panmunjom. A man suddenly laughed loudly, 'hahaha,' and ran between the buildings."

A U.S. official told CNN that King appeared to have escaped at airport customs, where escort personnel could not follow him.

According to U.S. Army spokesperson Bryce Dube, King enlisted in the U.S. Army as a reconnaissance soldier in January 2021 and was originally assigned to the 6th Battalion, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, based in Fort Bliss, Texas, during his rotational duty in South Korea.

His specific duty station in South Korea has not been disclosed, but administratively, he is currently assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.

During his military service, King received three medals, including the Korean Defense Service Medal, which are commonly awarded to U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.