Travis King: What do we know about the US soldier in North Korea and what might come next?

Authorities are continuing work to resolve an incident that saw a US citizen detained in North Korea after crossing the country's border with South Korea.

The man, who has been named as Travis King, had been part of a tour to the Demilitarised Zone between both Koreas on Tuesday.

King's motive to cross into North Korea is unknown at this point, although US military officials have confirmed he was due to fly back to America earlier that day.

Here, ITV News takes a look at what we know so far.

What happened to Travis King?

US officials said that King was being escorted to an airport in South Korea on Tuesday for a flight back to the United States.

He was released from a South Korean prison July 10 after serving time for assault and was scheduled to return to Fort Bliss, Texas.

At the airport, King's escorts could not get past a security checkpoint with him, creating an opportunity for him to leave the airport.

He then joined a group of 43 tourists in South Korea, who were visiting the Demilitarised Zone that separates South and North Korea.

The route the tourists took went further than the standard tour and involved visiting the Joint Security Area in the village of Panmunjom - which is jointly held by both countries.

According to a woman from New Zealand who was part of the trip, the touring party had to submit their passports and receive permits in advance to take part.

As the tour reached its conclusion, King sprinted across the border into North Korea.

Although soldiers from the South Korean side initially pursued King, they were unable to stop him from crossing into North Korean territory.

Sarah Leslie who was part of the same tour group as Travis King describes the moment he sprinted into North Korea

Who is Travis King?

King is a cavalry scout who joined the military in January 2021.

At the time of his rotation in South Korea, he was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, according to Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee.

King is believed to be the first US soldier to cross into North Korea since 1982.

Why does this matter?

Relations between the United States and North Korea have been fraught for decades, but have worsened in recent years.

Tensions have grown since a breakdown in ties between former US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in 2019.

During that period, North Korea has ramped up its nuclear and missile programmes. Most recently, on Tuesday, the country fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern sea.

North Korea has often blamed the United States and South Korea for inflaming tensions by conducting joint military exercises near its territory.

The United States does not have official diplomatic relations with North Korea. Instead, the Swedish Embassy, in Pyongyang, acts as a liaison for the US.

What are the risks for Travis King?

King is now in the hands of North Korea and it remains unclear how the country's authoritarian regime will view his capture.

What military intelligence value King could provide to North Korea is also uncertain. As a private, he would not likely have access to top-level information, but just by being on a US military installation, he may be able to disclose sensitive information - including base layouts and troop numbers.

Alternatively, North Korea could deem King to be a valuable political prisoner, given his status as a US soldier and citizen.

Past examples of such prisoners have shown that negotiations between the United States and North Korea can often be complex and take years to resolve.

He could also be used for propaganda purposes. In 1965, Charles Jenkins, a US soldier, defected to North Korea and later appeared in a number of promotional films for North Korea.

King’s maternal grandfather, Carl Gates, said his grandson joined the Army roughly three years ago because he “wanted to do better for himself.”

He was drawn to service because he has a brother who is a police officer and a cousin in the Navy, Mr Gates said.

Mr Gates said he hoped his grandson could be brought home to get help.

“I think right now he might have a problem or something. I can’t see him doing that intentionally if he was in his right mind,” he added.

What has happened in the past?

Bruce Byron Lowrance was the last American known to be held by North Korea, who, according to North Korean state-run media, crossed from China into the country.

Pyongyang accused Lowrance of working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), but released him around a month after he was taken into custody, with the Swedish Embassy, in North Korea, facilitating the release.

In 2017, Otto Warmbier, an American student, died after spending 17 months in North Korean custody.

Warmbier had originally visited the country as a tourist on a five-day trip, but was arrested after he was accused of trying to steal a political banner from his hotel.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was later released to the US. A week after returning to the US, however, Warmbier died with severe brain damage. Washington later accused North Korea of torturing Warmbier while in custody.

And in May 2018, North Korea released three American detainees - Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song - who returned to the United Sates on a plane with then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

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