For its part, North Korea appears to have treated his case as one of illegal immigration.
North Korea's KCNA state news agency said King told Pyongyang he entered North Korea illegally because he was "disillusioned about unequal U.S.
The Swedish government, which represents U.S. interests in North Korea because Washington has no diplomatic presence in the country, retrieved King in North Korea and brought him to China.
The State Department said the U.S. ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, met King in Dandong, China, a city bordering North Korea.
King, who joined the U.S. army in January 2021, faced two allegations of assault in South Korea.
Persons:
Travis King, King, Fort Sam Houston, Brittney Griner, Travis T, Sarah Leslie, Handout, Nicholas Burns, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Evan Garcia, Ed Davies, Neil Fullick, Toby Chopra
Organizations:
U.S . Army, Reuters, Base San, Fort, Brooke Army Medical Center, Russia, Security Area, REUTERS, Army, The State Department, Osan Air Force Base, U.S, South Korean, Thomson
Locations:
Texas, North Korea, U.S, Base San Antonio, Panmunjom, South Korea, Pyongyang, Swedish, Washington, China, Beijing, Dandong, Shenyang, United States, Korea