US officials identified late Tuesday (July 18) the soldier who crossed the border between North and South Korea as 23-year-old Private Second Class Travis King.
He was supposed to face a court martial for disciplinary charges over assault and property damage allegations before making an unauthorized crossing towards the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the truce village of Panmunjom early Tuesday.
The latest inter-Korean development was exacerbated with Pyongyang test-firing two ballistic missiles in response to the arrival of the nuclear-capable Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky in Busan Tuesday afternoon.
Officials added the deserter was probably taken into North Korean custody.
Misconduct Allegations
Prior to the incident, King was supposed to face two assault allegations on top of a fine issued by a South Korean for damaging a police car, according to a court ruling and a lawyer who represented the missing soldier who revealed the matter to reporters.
King was supposed to be returned to the United States to return to his home unit and possibly face a court martial over the disciplinary allegations when he apparently decided to join a tour to the North Korean border incognito, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
A Seoul court ruled in September last year King physically assaulted a man by punching his face at a club several times, but the case was settled.
Two weeks later, local police responded to a report of another altercation involving the soldier, but after numerous attempts to reason him out, officers had him arrested and continued to berate Korean society and authorities while kicking the vehicle's door several times, the ruling added.
Since then, King was detained, but US Forces Korea declined to confirm whether he had been in South Korean or US military detention. Meanwhile, one of the lawyers representing King in court said he had spent time with the latter in Pyeongtaek since the October case.
The lawyer added, on the condition his name would be withheld due to the sensitivity of the matter, he was unaware of the status of King's custody or whereabouts after February.
However, the deserter's motivations for his mad dash to the northern side of the DMZ continue to remain unknown.
Mother Worries About Deserter Son's Welfare
On the other hand, ABC News has interviewed King's mother Claudine Gates, who said her son's actions were uncharacteristic, expressing shock over the news of his deliberate border crossing. "I can't see Travis doing anything like that," she said.
Gates added the last time she conversed with her son was "a few days ago" and just wanted "him to come home."
In a news conference Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said speculations about King's reason for deserting remain unclear. "I'm absolutely foremost concerned about the welfare of our troop," he added. "We will remain focused on this, and this will develop in the next several days."
The White House added President Joe Biden was also briefed about the matter, though it declined to say how much political capital would be spent to secure King's release.
"The White House, the Department of Defense, the State Department, and also the U.N. are all working together to ascertain more information and resolve this situation," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Related Article: US Soldier Crosses North Korean Side of Panmunjom, Officials Say
