North Korea has 'responded' to UN inquiry on US soldier Travis King, confirms Pentagon

The United States confirmed that it has heard back from North Korea about its soldier Travis King, who dashed into the East Asian country last month and sparked widespread concern about his safety and whereabouts. American officials stated on Tuesday that Pyongyang had broken its radio silence over the incident.

Speaking to reporters, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder asserted that he can "confirm that the DPRK has responded to United Nations Command, but I don't have any substantial progress to read out." However, he made it clear that the country's response was “just an acknowledgment” of the UN inquiry.

All you need to know about Travis King

This comes as a major sigh of relief after days of little to no information from North Korea about detained soldier Travis King, who crossed the demilitarized zone (DMZ) last month while partaking in a tour of the border area. On July 18, King took a tour of the town of Panmunjom. 

He had been deployed in South Korea and served almost two months in prison over assault charges. Released on July 10, King was being sent back home to Texas, where additional military disciplinary actions and even discharge from military service potentially awaited him, the Associated Press reported. 

On July 18, he was seen “willfully” crossing the border and walking right into North Korean territory. While some speculate that he intentionally defected to the socialist country, others suggest that he was escaping South Korean authorities. However, it is still unclear what prompted him to do so. 

No matter how serious the case may appear, this isn't the first time that US troops have stepped foot in North Korea. Some have done it for personal and ideological reasons, while others have faced arrests and detentions in the country. Among the latter is Otto Warmbier, a US college pupil who was returned to Washington in a coma in 2017 after months of being in Pyongyang's custody, Sputnik reported.