A US soldier due to be shipped back to Texas for disciplinary action has instead walked into North Korea where he's sparking an international incident.
A soldier identified by the Pentagon as US Army Private 2nd Class Travis King had been detained on assault charges in South Korea. He was released on July 10th and the Army was shipping him to Fort Bliss in El Paso where he might have faced additional military discipline and possibly a less-than-honorable discharge.
Reports from South Korea suggest he was taken to the airport there and was escorted as far as Customs. But instead of getting on the plane, he joined a group of civilians taking a tour of the Korean border town of Panmunjom where he bolted across the border which is often crowded with tourists on Tuesday.
At the Pentagon Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that King is "likely now in North Korean custody."
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