Official: US soldier who strayed into N. Korea was jailed in S. Korea

Seoul: An American soldier who served around two months in a South Korean jail on assault charges was believed to be in North Korean custody after crossing the heavily fortified border without authorisation, officials said.

The soldier – identified by the US military as Travis King, a private second class who has been in the army since 2021 – crossed the border “wilfully and without authorisation,” US Forces Korea spokesperson Colonel Isaac Taylor said yesterday.