American soldier defects to North Korea

Hope he's happy...

Doubt we get much more than aeat sack back.

a reply to: BernnieJGato

treated like a king for a couple of months for propaganda,

Everything is relative; being treated like a King in Pyongyang is like living a lifetime on the breadline in most 'Western' countries.

What a knobhead he is.
I hope you guys make no attempt to get him released and let him wallow in his smug, entitled arrogance over there for the rest of his natural.

It's the current mindset and radical un-military like policies of the US military under Biden that produced this fool. Joe already defected the China. This is just a natural progression of Joe's example.

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

So no Americans had ever defected prior to Biden becoming President?

originally posted by: AlexandrosTheGreat

If he had killed someone, no civilised nation would allow him free roam. He would be arrested then extradited to the US on our dime.

We talking NK here...lol

An interesting twist would be for NK to escort him back to SK, no harm no foul. A gesture of goodwill.

This kid isn't actually worth the trouble. What could he possibly divulge that would make his defection worth it for NK??🤷🏻

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
He's not going to make it in a horrible way . Would have been much better off just facing his military punishment .

Not sure if you did Military time or not but UCMJ is about the Scariest thing on Earth to a Soldier .

The Military is Stressful enough then stack that on top of being Stationed in Korea which I hear is not great , Then Stack that on top of being a PV2 which means he is little more than a whipping Dog , Then he gets in trouble which means the scrutiny and stress becomes non-stop .

They are sending him from Military Prison Back to America to Face UCMJ which almost certainly means a Dishonorable Discharge. It's surprising the Kid didn't kill himself , I've seen it too many times once a soldier starts down that path it typically ends in suicide or Drugs or a general loss of sanity.

originally posted by: Freeborn
a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

So no Americans had ever defected prior to Biden becoming President?

I recall one during the Cold War who went over the Czech border. He wasn't there too long IIRC. But N Korea is something else.

The people who defected were one of two cases. They were disciplinary problems (often psychological); or, they were already communist true believers. One of the latter went to E Germany and had a career as a propagandist. IIRC, he wasn't too thrilled after the Wall came down.

Cheers

originally posted by: AlienBorg

originally posted by: StoutBroux
He's not right in the head. It's almost like he was behaving badly so he WOULD get arrested.

King was initially reported to South Korean police after allegedly punching a Korean national at a night club in Seoul on Sept. 25 last year, but was not indicted because the victim did not want to press charges.

In February he was fined 5 million won ($3,950) in Seoul on charges that included damaging public property, according to South Korean court documents. He was accused of repeatedly kicking a police patrol car in Seoul last year, causing several hundred dollars in damage.

He did not cooperate when apprehended by officers at the scene and was shouting profanities about Koreans and the Korean army.

www.nbcnews.com...

On on his way back to the USA, he sees the route open to North Korea and bolts????

According to NK News, a witness on the same tour saw a male member of her group run across the border as they visited the JSA.

“To our right, we hear a loud HA-HA-HA and one guy from OUR GROUP that has been with us all day- runs in between two of the buildings and over to the other side!!” Mikaela Johansson of Sweden wrote. “It took everybody a second to react and grasp what had actually happened, then we were ordered into and through Freedom House and running back to our military bus.”

She reportedly added that visitors at the JSA had been asked by authorities not to share images of the incident.

www.thedailybeast.com...

Just reading about him and his strange behaviors, he has a screw loose. But his mother says there's nothing wrong with him lol.

Travis King 23yo

I believe the reason NKorea tortured their last American prisoner Otto Warmbier, is because he made them look bad. This young man might have an easier time because he is making the US look bad, just a personal opinion.

You really don't know what is going on in this story. He is presented as unstable but there could be political reasons why he defected.

Kicking cop cars in a foreign country REPEATEDLY, getting in fights with it's citizens? Yeah NO! He just joined in January 2021 and is a 2nd class Private

The U.S. military was scrambling to establish the fate of King, whose actions have thrown Washington into a new crisis in its dealing with the nuclear-armed state. US officials said on Tuesday that King crossed 'willfully and without authorization'.

His motive for his high-stakes gambit remains unclear.

The tourist who witnessed King's crossing and took the photo of the soldier, Sarah Leslie from New Zealand, said she initially believed it was a stunt 'for TikTok'.

Leslie and her father, tourists from New Zealand, were part of a group that left Tuesday morning from Seoul to visit the Demilitarized Zone that divides South and North Korea.

King was among the group of 43 tourists, although he was casually dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt and she had no idea at the time that he was a soldier.

Travis King, the 23-year-old American soldier who crossed the border into North Korea “willfully and without authorization” on Tuesday, had been “breaking down” after the tragic death of his 7-year-old cousin earlier this year, King’s uncle told The Daily Beast.

Bryce Dubee, and Army spokesperson, said that King is a cavalry scout who joined the service in January 2021. His rank of private second class after more than two years of Army service suggests King may have been held back for disciplinary issues or for failing to meet standards, though the service did not provide any information indicating that.

Promotion to private first class -- the next highest rank -- is automatic after 12 months of service.

www.military.com...

You may want this to be some special secret agent assignment but I'm sticking with a young soldier who has behavior problems and mental health issues.

a reply to: StoutBroux

I'll be surprised if they don't strap him to one of the rockets they seem to launch for no reason .

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

He'd probably volunteer for their space program...

I could see that....lol

There was a documentary of an USA soldier deflecting to N Korea, back in the 70s I think.
He got married. His favourite thing was fishing and sitting there with his Korean friend.
He led a very modest life but was quite happy.

It can happen. I guess he was a good poster child for them, which assured him a modest but better life than most there.

originally posted by: StoutBroux

originally posted by: AlienBorg

originally posted by: StoutBroux
He's not right in the head. It's almost like he was behaving badly so he WOULD get arrested.

King was initially reported to South Korean police after allegedly punching a Korean national at a night club in Seoul on Sept. 25 last year, but was not indicted because the victim did not want to press charges.

In February he was fined 5 million won ($3,950) in Seoul on charges that included damaging public property, according to South Korean court documents. He was accused of repeatedly kicking a police patrol car in Seoul last year, causing several hundred dollars in damage.

He did not cooperate when apprehended by officers at the scene and was shouting profanities about Koreans and the Korean army.

www.nbcnews.com...

On on his way back to the USA, he sees the route open to North Korea and bolts????

According to NK News, a witness on the same tour saw a male member of her group run across the border as they visited the JSA.

“To our right, we hear a loud HA-HA-HA and one guy from OUR GROUP that has been with us all day- runs in between two of the buildings and over to the other side!!” Mikaela Johansson of Sweden wrote. “It took everybody a second to react and grasp what had actually happened, then we were ordered into and through Freedom House and running back to our military bus.”

She reportedly added that visitors at the JSA had been asked by authorities not to share images of the incident.

www.thedailybeast.com...

Just reading about him and his strange behaviors, he has a screw loose. But his mother says there's nothing wrong with him lol.

Travis King 23yo

I believe the reason NKorea tortured their last American prisoner Otto Warmbier, is because he made them look bad. This young man might have an easier time because he is making the US look bad, just a personal opinion.

You really don't know what is going on in this story. He is presented as unstable but there could be political reasons why he defected.

Kicking cop cars in a foreign country REPEATEDLY, getting in fights with it's citizens? Yeah NO! He just joined in January 2021 and is a 2nd class Private

The U.S. military was scrambling to establish the fate of King, whose actions have thrown Washington into a new crisis in its dealing with the nuclear-armed state. US officials said on Tuesday that King crossed 'willfully and without authorization'.

His motive for his high-stakes gambit remains unclear.

The tourist who witnessed King's crossing and took the photo of the soldier, Sarah Leslie from New Zealand, said she initially believed it was a stunt 'for TikTok'.

Leslie and her father, tourists from New Zealand, were part of a group that left Tuesday morning from Seoul to visit the Demilitarized Zone that divides South and North Korea.

King was among the group of 43 tourists, although he was casually dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt and she had no idea at the time that he was a soldier.

Travis King, the 23-year-old American soldier who crossed the border into North Korea “willfully and without authorization” on Tuesday, had been “breaking down” after the tragic death of his 7-year-old cousin earlier this year, King’s uncle told The Daily Beast.

Bryce Dubee, and Army spokesperson, said that King is a cavalry scout who joined the service in January 2021. His rank of private second class after more than two years of Army service suggests King may have been held back for disciplinary issues or for failing to meet standards, though the service did not provide any information indicating that.

Promotion to private first class -- the next highest rank -- is automatic after 12 months of service.

www.military.com...

You may want this to be some special secret agent assignment but I'm sticking with a young soldier who has behavior problems and mental health issues.

I left it open because I don't know what's going on in his life. It looks like someone who is mentally and psychologically unstable.

originally posted by: Freeborn
a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

So no Americans had ever defected prior to Biden becoming President?

It's been awhile for sure, but just leave it to Uncle Joe to get that program restarted! The example that Biden sets for anyone as morally compromised as him doesn't leave any room for common sense.

When people do what Joe suggests, they get a Darwin award paid in advance.

Was his pronoun Kim?

SPAM

originally posted by: Hecate666
There was a documentary of an USA soldier deflecting to N Korea, back in the 70s I think.
He got married. His favourite thing was fishing and sitting there with his Korean friend.
He led a very modest life but was quite happy.

It can happen. I guess he was a good poster child for them, which assured him a modest but better life than most there.

There was someone else who tried to defect back in 2014 (American Citizen). But the NK authorities returned him back.

It's not unthinkable for people to defect for political and ideological reasons. Those who are genuine can make it in another country and have a decent life. But NK is usually a difficult place to live as the living standards are very low and the country is a huge dictatorship.

a reply to: StoutBroux

I thought they let one guy have a NK wife and they had kids..Dresnok?

a reply to: AlienBorg

Sorry that I came across so sharply. I re-read my posts and sometimes I get too emotionally involved in them.

He figured if Dennis Rodman could be embraced by the North Koreans, why couldn’t he? It will be interesting to see what happens here. Fact is he wasn’t executed on the spot raises questions on will he be serving hard time, and tortured for this stunt?