North Korea has publicly acknowledged that US Army Private Travis King crossed into its territory last month. The Korean Central News Agency stated that King expressed his willingness to seek refuge in North Korea or a third country, citing his "ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army." King admitted to illegally intruding into North Korea, but the report did not mention any resulting punishment. The U.S. Defense Department has said it cannot verify North Korea's comments on King but remains focused on his safe return.

King, a junior enlisted soldier assigned to US Forces Korea, had faced assault charges in South Korea and was due to be removed from the military the day before he crossed into North Korea. He is the first U.S. national known to be detained in North Korea in nearly five years. CNN has reported that King was released from a detention facility in South Korea just over a week before his crossing. There have been repeated attempts to contact the North Koreans for an update on King's condition, but no substantive response has been received so far.