Family pleads for U.S. government action to bring Pvt. Travis King back from North Korea after his unexpected border crossing.
Family members of Travis King, the U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea last week, are desperately calling for his safe return, expressing anguish over his disappearance. King, a Pvt. 2nd Class in the U.S. Army, joined a private tour group to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea, where he made an unprovoked dash across the border into North Korea.
His family, including his sister Jaqueda Gates, voiced their heartbreak over the situation. “The days are getting longer, nights are worse,” said Gates, speaking from their grandparents’ home in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She added that the family is deeply troubled about his well-being, unsure of what he may be experiencing. “All I think about is what he can be doing,” she said.
King’s family is urging the U.S. government to take more decisive steps in securing his return from North Korea. U.S. Forces Korea has confirmed that King was believed to be in North Korean custody following his unauthorized crossing. The incident has raised alarm, with concerns for his safety in the highly secretive and volatile regime.
In the wake of the event, the family has made public appeals, calling on the American government to intensify efforts to bring King home. “America should fight for him,” Gates said, imploring for more action from government officials.
The situation has left the family in a state of constant worry, with no clear indication of how the U.S. will be able to negotiate his return from North Korea. The U.S. government is reportedly working on the issue, but the details of the efforts remain unclear as tensions with North Korea continue.