Why did this US soldier stationed in South Korea cross the border and "flee" to North Korea?, "I thought I was filming TikTok" crossing the border into North Korea | US soldier stationed in South Korea

On the 18th local time, a US soldier stationed in South Korea was detained for 50 days in South Korea and was taken to the airport waiting to return to the United States for punishment. However, he did not board the plane and instead disguised himself as a tourist, rushing across the military demarcation line between North and South Korea, and was detained by the North Korean side. For decades, it is the first time that American soldiers have voluntarily crossed the border to North Korea. At present, the North Korean authorities have not responded to this matter and are considered to be observing the US response. Who is this American soldier? Why did he make this "unbelievable" decision?

"I thought I was filming TikTok"

On the 17th local time, 23-year-old US soldier Travis Kim arrived at Incheon International Airport in South Korea under the supervision of US military personnel and passed through customs checkpoints alone. Originally, he would take a plane back to the United States.

However, just as everyone thought Jin had boarded the plane, he disappeared from the airport.

According to the Korean Times, Kim told airline staff at the boarding gate that his passport is missing and therefore he cannot board the plane. After the scheduled flight took off, Jin returned to the airport departure hall under the escort of airport personnel.

Afterwards, he managed to escape from the airport and signed up for a local tour group, embarking on a strange adventure. A US official told Reuters that Kim may have been inspired at the airport because there were advertisements for traveling to the demilitarized zone.

The next afternoon, Kim departed from Seoul and followed a tour group to Panmunjom, where he also bought several souvenirs. Just as the tour was coming to an end, several tourists suddenly saw the soldier rushing towards North Korea.

"At first, I thought he was making jokes or gimmicks like TikTok videos... but later, I heard soldiers shouting 'catch that guy'," Sara Leslie, a tourist from New Zealand, told the Associated Press.

Before the patrol soldiers reacted, Jin Fei quickly crossed the military demarcation line between North and South Korea, which was about 10 meters away, and entered the North Korean side, disappearing from sight after a few seconds. A tourist told the media that Kim had laughed loudly as he ran towards the North Korean side.

According to US officials, after entering North Korea, Kim was quickly stuffed into a van and taken away by North Korean guards.

At present, the whereabouts of this American soldier are still unknown. According to US Secretary of Defense Austin, the soldier crossed the military demarcation line between North and South Korea without authorization and is currently being detained by North Korea.

White House spokesperson Karina Jean Pierre said that the US government is still working to determine his specific location and situation. Currently, the United States is cooperating with the governments of South Korea and Sweden to follow up on this matter. Due to the current lack of direct diplomatic contact between the United States and North Korea, Sweden is playing the role of intermediary.

What is the motivation behind it?

In the eyes of many American media, Kim's escape to North Korea is "puzzling" and "unimaginable". What prompted him to take this action? The official investigation and the statements of the Jin family are piecing together the reasons behind the incident, but the exact motive is still a mystery.

Travis King is a Second Class Army soldier who enlisted in January 2021 as part of the First Armored Division and is currently undergoing rotation with the US military stationed in South Korea.

However, during his stay in South Korea, Kim caused a lot of trouble. He not only has a criminal record of violence and detention in South Korea, but also faces the situation of being deported back to the United States and punished.

Last September, Kim was suspected of pushing and shoving a South Korean at a nightclub in Seoul, South Korea, and repeatedly assaulting his face. As the victim did not bring charges, the matter was left unresolved.

Last October, when South Korean police asked about Kim's identity information in Seoul, he refused to cooperate and kicked the door of a police car, cursing Koreans and the South Korean military. He was arrested on the spot.

In February of this year, a South Korean court ruled him guilty of damaging public property and imposed a fine of 5 million Korean won on him. Jin Huan was detained for 50 days in a South Korean prison on charges of assault and was just released on the 10th of this month.

CNN reported that after returning to his home country, Kim would face further disciplinary action and be expelled from the US military at the headquarters of the First Armored Division in Fort Bliss, Texas. It is currently unclear whether this is related to his escape to North Korea.

Jin's family also found it difficult to understand his behavior.

Jin's mother told the media that she was shocked and never expected Jin to do such a thing. Kim's uncle, Carl Gates, hinted that Kim's behavior may be related to his 7-year-old cousin's unexpected death due to a rare illness. "He seemed to be on the verge of collapse at the time, which had a significant impact on him.".

North Korea "remains motionless"

At the time of the incident, the situation on the Korean Peninsula was in a highly tense state. On the 18th, the US strategic nuclear submarine visited South Korea again after 42 years, and the next morning, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the eastern waters of the peninsula in response.

However, the North Korean authorities have not yet made a statement regarding the unauthorized entry of US soldiers into North Korea.

The public opinion believes that the North Korean side may be trying to use the release of personnel as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States by holding back. The North Korean side may also take advantage of the fact that the US military voluntarily defected to North Korea to promote it domestically.

The BBC analyzed that although Travis Kim's intention to enter North Korea is not yet clear, his presence provides North Korea and its leader Kim Jong un with a new bargaining chip to negotiate with the United States, which would be a headache for the Biden administration.

Yonhap News Agency analyzed that due to the fact that this US soldier is facing punishment for being deported back to the United States, there is a high possibility that North Korea will not provide asylum and repatriate him. But North Korea doesn't need to be in a hurry to make a statement. It can slowly follow the process and wait for the US to react. This matter may also serve as an opportunity to break the deadlock in North Korea US dialogue.

Professor Kim Jung hyun of Northeastern University in South Korea believes that the United States is seeking North Korea's "second party" on the issue of releasing people, so North Korea does not need to step forward first, but will use this "hostage card" to fight for dominance in the situation.

Jenny Tang, the head of the website 38 North, which studies North Korean affairs in the United States, said that incidents of American soldiers being detained by North Korea are extremely rare. Due to the current lack of information on Kim's intention to enter North Korea and the absence of similar precedents to determine North Korea's attitude towards this matter, the future situation of Kim can only be "watched and waited".