The United States maintains a number of channels to deliver messages to North Korea, but Washington is still gathering information about US soldier Travis King who has been detained by Pyongyang, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th July, 2023) The United States maintains a number of channels to deliver messages to North Korea, but Washington is still gathering information about US soldier Travis King who has been detained by Pyongyang, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday.
"The White House, the Pentagon, we here at the State Department, the UN - we all continue to work together on this matter to ascertain information about the well-being and whereabouts of private King, we are still gathering facts," Miller said. "We retain a number of channels through which we can send messages to the DPRK (North Korea)."
Miller said the Defense Department reached out to the North Korean military on Tuesday but is yet to receive an answer.
Miller also said the State Department has engaged with other entities in Washington as well as with counterparts in South Korea and Sweden on the matter.
On Tuesday, the United Nations said that a US national has been detained by North Korea after illegally crossing the border from South Korea.
The Joint Security Area (JSA) is a border village in the Korean demilitarized zone where forces from both countries stand face-to-face. Several private companies are authorized to organize tours in the JSA.
Later on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the detention of a US soldier by North Korea, while the State Department said the Defense Department has reached out to their counterparts in Pyongyang regarding the incident.
US media reported that the soldier was set to face disciplinary action prior to the incident and identified him as 23-year-old private Travis King.
King was detained at a South Korean prison on assault charges and was released after which he crossed the border into North Korea, media reports said, adding that he was facing additional military disciplinary actions in the United States.
