Travis King: US soldier in N Korea was jailed for fights in Seoul

Travis King, the American worker who fled to North Korea, had been jailed for battle successful South Korea anterior to crossing the border.

Court documents showed helium had been embroiled successful fights and deed a constabulary car successful Seoul.

The 23-year-old serviceman had been precocious released and was being sent backmost to the US erstwhile helium escaped.

He joined a circuit of the Joint Security Area and fled into North Korea. Pyongyang has not commented truthful far.

It remains unclear what his intentions were for crossing the border. US authorities person said that helium did truthful "wilfully, of his ain volition" and has expressed interest astir his well-being.

Private 2nd Class (PV2) King was reportedly investigated for battle successful South Korea successful September 2022. According to section media, King was suspected of punching a Korean nationalist successful a nightclub successful Seoul.

He was fined 5m won (£,3,000; $3,950) for "repeatedly kicking" the backmost doorway of a constabulary car and screamed "foul language" astatine the officers trying to apprehend him.

Local reports quoting officials said helium was released connected 10 July aft serving 2 months successful jailhouse connected battle charges, but did not elaborate further.

After his release, helium was placed nether subject reflection for astir a week successful South Korea.

He was escorted to the airdrome successful Incheon, adjacent Seoul, for a formation backmost to the United States, wherever helium was to look disciplinary action.

But helium did not committee the plane. The Korea Times, quoting an airdrome official, said helium arrived astatine the boarding gross unsocial arsenic subject constabulary officers were not allowed to travel him each the mode to the plane.

At the gate, helium reportedly approached an American Airlines authoritative and claimed his passport had gone missing. An hose worker past escorted him retired of the departures area.

After parting ways with his escort, helium is reported to person near the terminal to embark connected a circuit of the Demilitarised Zone, oregon DMZ, betwixt North and South Korea, wherever foreigners tin sojourn via circuit companies.

It is not wide however King managed to get connected 1 of these tours, arsenic it usually takes 3 days for an idiosyncratic to beryllium authorised connected 1 of these trips, which are usually intimately monitored.

An eyewitness connected the aforesaid borderline circuit described proceeding the worker laughing loudly earlier making a tally crossed the border.

The United Nations Command, which operates the DMZ, said it believed the worker was present successful custody of the North. A elder US commandant said determination had been nary interaction with the worker and the incidental was being investigated by US Forces Korea.

King's parent Claudine Gates told ABC News she could not ideate her lad doing specified a thing. He "had to beryllium retired of his mind", she said.