Pyongyang confirms custody of American soldier Travis King, who crossed DMZ in July
(VOVWORLD) - Pyongyang confirmed for the first time on Wednesday that it is holding American soldier Travis King who last month crossed the Panmunjom Joint Security Area (JSA) in the Demilitarized Zone to illegally intrude into the territory of the DPRK, according to North Korean state news agency KCNA.
 American soldier Travis King (fourth from left in black shirt) on a tour of Panmunjom Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone on July 18, 2023. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
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Investigation results by functional agencies of North Korea said that Travis King admitted that he illegally intruded into the country’s territory and expressed his willingness to seek refuge in North Korea or a third country. KCNA reported that the investigation is still under way.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh on Tuesday said that it could not verify King's alleged comments which Pyongyang’s news agency had broadcast, but that it was working through all channels to bring him home safely.
On July 18, the US-led United Nations Command, which oversees the area, has confirmed that King, who is serving in the US military in South Korea, crossed the border line into North Korea while having a tour of the JSA in the Demilitarized Zone.