CNN —The Biden administration is debating whether to designate Travis King, the US Army soldier who crossed into North Korea last month, as a prisoner of war, defense officials told CNN. But VanLandingham said it’s unclear that North Korea would even acknowledge POW status or afford King the protections it bestows. A former senior Air Force lawyer said it’s unlikely King would receive POW status because there was no active fighting when he entered North Korea. In addition, King wasn’t forced into North Korea or captured by their forces, instead entering the country of his own free will. “He chose to go to North Korea,” the lawyer said, pointing out that King’s entry into North Korea was not related to the conflict in any way.

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