U.S. soldier Travis King arrives in Texas after being expelled from North Korea
American soldier Travis King has arrived back on U.S. soil after being expelled by North Korea, months after he ran across the border into the reclusive state and sparked an international incident.
The U.S. Army private landed in San Antonio, Texas, in the early hours of Thursday morning, a defense official said.
King was expected to be taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio overnight, according to two defense officials.
During his time there, he is expected to undergo post-isolation support activities, known as PISA, which are designed to help prisoners of war, hostages and wrongfully detained Americans, reacclimatize to being in the U.S. and respond to any trauma or post-traumatic stress.
What lies ahead for King following the acclimatization process was not immediately clear.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Army said Wednesday that King's status would be addressed "at a later time."
“The Army’s focus right now is on ensuring the soldier’s well-being and privacy," U.S. Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee said.
King, 23, raced across the border into North Korea from South Korea on July 18 during a public tour of the Demilitarized Zone.
A statement reported by state-run news agency KCNA on Wednesday said the U.S. soldier had "illegally intruded" into North Korean territory because he was disillusioned about inhumane treatment and racial discrimination” in the Army and about the “inequality existing within the American Society.”
The U.S. has yet to officially respond to those claims. North Korea was silent on King's status for weeks before confirming his detention in August.
Prior to crossing the border, King had been released from a South Korean prison and was being escorted by the military to Incheon International Airport near Seoul. He faced the possibility of further disciplinary action in the U.S.
The precise details of King's expulsion from North Korea are still unclear.
Jonathan Franks, a spokesperson for King’s mother, Claudine Gates, told NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell of her relief at hearing from her son prior to his return to the U.S.
Franks said Gates did not know why her son was let go, but that he appeared to be "in good spirits."
“This was a call just to say: ‘Hey, how are you? I love you; I care about you.’ It’s probably not a time to ask for a whole bunch of details or ask a lot of questions,” he said.
His detention in North Korea came at a time of heightened tensions between the isolated communist state and its southern neighbor, as well as with the U.S.
Pyongyang fueled fresh concern after escalating its nuclear threats and undertaking weapons tests, while a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked fears that the East Asian country could help Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
