00:00 North Korea has decided to expel the American soldier Travis King, who, according to the
00:06 state news agency KCNA, has confessed to illegally entering the country.
00:11 Releasing the results of an investigation into King's border crossing in July, KCNA
00:15 said that the soldier harbored ill feelings over inhuman treatment and racial discrimination
00:21 within the US Army.
00:22 KCNA, however, did not specify how, when or to where King would be expelled.
00:29 North Korea had earlier said that in its interim findings, it found that Travis King wanted
00:34 refugee in North Korea or elsewhere because of the alleged inhuman treatment and racial
00:39 discrimination.
00:40 Travis King had crossed into the country through the heavily armed border between the Koreas
00:44 in July.
00:45 As per the Korean Central News Agency report, authorities have finished their interrogation
00:50 of Travis King.
00:51 He has reportedly confessed that he entered into the country illegally.
00:55 He did so because he harbored ill feelings against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination
01:00 within the US Army and was disillusioned about the unequal US society.
01:06 Travis King had served in South Korea.
01:08 During his civilian tour of a border village on July 18, he sprinted into North Korea.
01:14 With this, he became the first American confirmed to be detained in the North in nearly five
01:18 years.
01:19 At the time he joined the civilian tour and crossed the border, he was supposed to be
01:23 heading to Fort Bliss, Texas following his release from prison in South Korea on an assault
01:27 conviction.
01:29 King was released on July 10 and was sent home to Fort Bliss, Texas where he could have
01:33 faced additional military discipline and discharged from his service.
01:37 He was escorted as per his customs but left the airport before boarding the plane.
01:42 It was unclear how he spent the hours until joining the tour in the border village of
01:46 Panmunjom during which he ran across the border.
01:50 The border between the two Koreas is heavily fortified but at the joint security area,
01:54 the frontier is marked only by a low concrete divider and is relatively easy to cross despite
01:59 the presence of soldiers on both sides.
02:02 After weeks of silence, North Korea confirmed the detention of the King in August.
02:06 The North Korean government said that it was questioning the circumstances surrounding
02:10 his border crossing.
02:11 US officials have said that King, who chose to serve his time at a labor camp rather than
02:16 pay a fine of about $4,000, has been declared absent without leave.
02:21 The punishment can include confinement, forfeiture of pay or dishonorable discharge based largely
02:26 on how long the abscondee was away and whether they were apprehended or returned of their
02:31 own free will.
02:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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