US Soldier Detained After Crossing North Korea Border

Jeezuz how do you make a mistake like that?

An American citizen has been detained in North Korea after straying across the border into the Communist country without permission during a tour, the United Nations Command said Tuesday.

The detainee has been identified as Travis King, a US Army member with the rank of private second class, reported South Korea’s Dong-a Ilbo newspaper, citing South Korea’s army.

King was taking part in a visit to the Joint Security Area — the border village in the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas that is guarded by soldiers from both sides — when he reportedly crossed the border around 3:27 p.m. local time, according to local reports.

An eyewitness who was part of the same tour group as King told CBS News that they had just visited one of the buildings at the JSA village when “this man [King] gives out a loud ‘Ha, ha, ha,’ and just runs in between some buildings.

According to the witness, the tour organizers and other travelers did not have an immediate reaction to the man’s antics.

“I thought it was a bad joke at first, but when he didn’t come back, I realized it wasn’t a joke, and then everybody reacted and things got crazy,” the witness told the outlet.

The UN Command confirmed the incident in a tweet: “A US National on a JSA orientation tour crossed, without authorization, the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).”

“We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” the message continued, referring to North Korea’s People’s Army.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it did not immediately have any information on the American soldier’s detention by Kim Jong Un’s regime.

A State Department travel advisory bans US citizens from entering North Korea “due to the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of US nationals.”

The ban was enacted after American college student Otto Warmbier was detained by North Korean authorities while on a tour of the country in 2015. He died in 2017, days after he was released from prison and returned to the US in a coma.

quote:

Jeezuz how do you make a mistake like that?

Doesn't sound like it was a mistake on his part, but deliberate, which is actually more like straight up stupidity.

So if this report is accurate... a dumbass immature soldier (likely a teenager straight out of Basic based on him being an E-2) decides to do a dumbass immature thing, and is shocked that his dumbass immature actions have consequences, landing him in the North Korean pokey where he is likely to be interrogated, mistreated, and used as an international bargaining chip.

Stupid hurts.

quote:

‘Ha, ha, ha,’

Yes, I'm going with stoopid games for stoopid prizes on this one.

Play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.

Private Shmuckatelli decided to play stupid games in the dumbest place on earth. Now he's going to learn the hard way.

Leave him there.

He's back already.

An actual photo of Travis King returning across the DMZ:

Obviously, a few hours spent detained in the DPRK changes a man!

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Leave him there.

I'm kind of leaning that way myself . Especially if they determine that he thought it would be " a joke " . Nobody goes on those tours without attending an orientation where they are told what NOT to do in the border area .

Just proves that some people exist to be nothing more then an example to others of what not to do.

Just heard on the radio this kid was due to be separated and shipped back to the US for disciplinary actions.

Now it's the radio, and that seems backwards to me, but...

"The soldier was identified by a senior U.S. defense official as Private 2nd Class Travis King, who was serving under U.S. Forces Korea and the U.S. Army and was due to face disciplinary action.

King was to be separated from the military force, for cause and was supposed to go back to the U.S., according to the official, but he missed his flight.

A U.S. defense official also told Fox News the soldier was on a tour in a personal capacity and was wearing civilian clothes at the time of the incident.

King, according to one official that spoke to Fox News, disobeyed orders and went on a tour of the DMZ and then broke away from the tour group."

North Korea detains US soldier

He sounds like a real winner .

Ah. So this was potentially a deliberate desertion (Bowe Bergdahl-style) not just impromptu dumbassery.

Still, my point stands. He's going to quickly realize that stupid hurts, when he's imprisoned and tortured rather than being welcomed as a heroic refugee and showered with accolades.

Dude sounds like a dumbass who made a very stupid decision in order to try to avoid the consequences of his earlier stupid decisions that were getting him shipped off and potentially drummed out.

Needs to go to medical, definitely has a case of Dipshititis

Brilliant! This kid makes Brittney Griner seem like a Menza candidate

They have probably already installed this scholar in the Otto Warmbier suite.

quote:

Originally posted by SW_Sig:
"The soldier was identified by a senior U.S. defense official as Private 2nd Class Travis King, who was serving under U.S. Forces Korea and the U.S. Army and was due to face disciplinary action.

King was to be separated from the military force, for cause and was supposed to go back to the U.S., according to the official, but he missed his flight.

A U.S. defense official also told Fox News the soldier was on a tour in a personal capacity and was wearing civilian clothes at the time of the incident.

King, according to one official that spoke to Fox News, disobeyed orders and went on a tour of the DMZ and then broke away from the tour group."

North Korea detains US soldier

Alrighty, then. I'll bet he thinks he fooled everybody, huh? It seems as if every decision he makes is a bad one. This decision may turn out to be the worst one of all.

We should just tell North Korea they can keep him.

It appears the Norks quickly realized this "captured asset" was of no value and they quickly disposed of it. Perhaps the Army could come to a similar understanding?

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
Perhaps the Army could come to a similar understanding?

Sounds like they already did.