Authorities in Washington stated that North Korea has not replied to efforts by the United States to talk about the American soldier who escaped through the closely guarded border, highlighting that the serviceman’s chances for a speedy return are unknown at this time due to heightened tensions and closed communication lines.
Pvt. Travis King, who had just completed a prison term in South Korea for violence, was intended to be traveling to Fort Bliss, Texas when he encountered North Korea on Tuesday during a civilian tour of the border village of Panmunjom. He is the number one American known to be imprisoned in North Korea for almost 5 years.
“The Pentagon contacted colleagues in the (North) Korean People’s Army yesterday. According to what I believe, those contacts are still waiting for a response,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said to reporters on Wednesday in Washington.