North Korea finally responds to Western officials over runaway American soldier
NBCAug 01, 2023
Report: US Declines to Invoke POW Status for Soldier in North Korean Custody
Image copyright: US Department of Defense [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
Reuters reported Friday, citing four anonymous American officials, that the US has so far declined to declare 23-year-old Army Private Travis King a prisoner of war (POW) as he continues to be held in North Korea after crossing into the country last month.
A cavalry scout with the Korean Rotational Force, Private King was due to fly to Fort Bliss, Texas, to face disciplinary action after spending weeks in a South Korean prison but skipped his military escort and made his way north on July 18.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
No final decision has been made regarding the status of Travis King yet, as the Biden admin. still weighs whether to declare him a POW, given the low probability that Pyongyang would acknowledge such status as he was neither forced into the country nor captured by their forces. Additionally, this declaration could have severe implications by potentially signaling that the US views the conflict as active.
Establishment-critical narrative
Given that even his family has been kept in the dark, not receiving any official information since a call to notify them of the incident, it's clear that Travis King has been completely abandoned by the Pentagon. The plot thickens as the Army remains silent over the fact that some ominous messages he sent throughout his time in South Korea were received while he was allegedly in prison doing hard work.