SAN ANTONIO — The American soldier who had been in North Korean custody since July is heading back to the U.S.
Travis King was handed over to U.S. authorities Wednesday at the China-Korea border. CBS News is reporting that King is being taken to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.
State Department officials thanked the governments of Sweden and China for their help on his return. So far, there is no word on why North Korea suddenly released King.
Earlier Wednesday, North Korea abruptly said it was planning to expel the 23-year-old Army private who dashed across the border between North and South Korea in July while on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone.
"I don't know that I would take from this, herald some breakthrough in diplomatic relations, obviously we are pleased to have secured his return," State Department Spokesman Matt Miller said.
North Korea's state news agency says King confessed to illegally entering the country and that he maintained he had faced racial discrimination and inhumane treatment in the Army. The Wisconsin native was convicted of assault and had just been released from a military jail in South Korea and was supposed to head back to the U.S. to face more disciplinary charges. That's when he hopped on a bus for a tour of the Demilitarized Zone.
With help from Sweden, the U.S. made it clear they wanted the soldier released.
"We did not give them anything. We made no concessions as part of securing his return," Miller said.
Again, King is being taken to Brooke Army Medical Center and is likely to face more disciplinary action from the military.