North Korea silent about its apparent detention of U.S. soldier who bolted across the border

Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are rare

So this guy was defecting to North Korea? To avoid prosecution from South Korea / U.S.?

They don't know what to do with him.

He has no skills or relevant intel that they can torture him for (Oh, they are going to torture him for sure, just not for intel.)

He is an idiot.

The US is not going to send a former president (well, I can think of one but only if they promise to keep him). to "negotiate" his release. So he has no value as a bargaining chip.

He went of his own accord so the "no man left behind" ethos is more of a guideline to be ignored than a hard fast rule.

And they have to feed him to boot.

I bet they are wondering if they can just ship him off to the gulag and wait for Otto syndrome to kick in.

He "may" have an budding career as an actor playing American roles in Anti-US propaganda films. In anycase I don't see a bright future for Travis either in NK or back in US hands where he'd be facing a mountain of charges. What an idiot.

The young soldier is truly lacking in his thinking. His punishment would have been nothing compared with his detention in NK as a possible spy.

Good Luck; you're going to NEED it:

REF: North Korean Defector; 2017 mentioned in above article

Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehrPwVyN8lc&t=97s

He went of his own accord so the "no man left behind" ethos is more of a guideline to be ignored than a hard fast rule.

an ex President (D) traded 5 high level terrorists for a guy just like that, someone who walked off on their own into enemy captivity.

That same President even spoke these words at the White House ceremony celebrating his horrible, one sided trade.

And he wasn't forgotten by his country, because the United States of America does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind.

I was in Afghanistan when that trade occurred.

There were a lot of P-off Soldiers on the base about that one.

When I visited the DMZ, the UN Command had to give me clearance - they processed my SK alien card a week before.

Somehow this guy slipped out of the airport and joined the Panmunjom tour, so he it seems he planned this.

Wow, another Jenkins case.

He might not want to go to war with Russia.

@WA4TKG

Watching that North Koreans escape gives me chills every time I watch it. The accompanying music on that really ups the tension!

You really need to wonder what what going on in this kids mind to want to go hell on Earth?

Look what they did to Otto Frederick Warmbier. Defection?

His he in love? Just got off the beaten path on to Norths territory?

Does he enjoy pain and suffering? Starvation? Beatings? Stringent prison conditions is put it lightly.

Its a real head scratcher for sure. The assault charges was time served in Korean jail I would assume. when he got home Your getting a dishonorable discharge for unacceptable conduct now ad desertion to his charges. When it rains it pours in this young mans life. Maybe he had a Northern Korean woman girl he is love with?

But why would you want to go to North Korea and enter illegally? Why there? Non of this makes any sense to me.

BlacklabelToday 01:57 pm JST

He went of his own accord so the "no man left behind" ethos is more of a guideline to be ignored than a hard fast rule.

an ex President (D) traded 5 high level terrorists for a guy just like that, someone who walked off on their own into enemy captivity.

That guy did not walk directly to the enemy, though, at least on purpose. There are numerous accounts of what he was trying to do. Probably the most credible is that he thought he could walk to India.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowe_Bergdahl#Circumstances_of_Bergdahl's_disappearance

That same President even spoke these words at the White House ceremony celebrating his horrible, one sided trade.

And he wasn't forgotten by his country, because the United States of America does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind.

And Obama was right to say that because Bergdahl hadn't intended to end up with the Taliban.

an ex President (D) traded 5 high level terrorists for a guy just like that, someone who walked off on their own into enemy captivity.

And not thing one to do with this case.

From the “Hey, that’s off-topic” one no less.

Are you seriously suggesting we double-down what in your opinion was a bad policy?

Or do you just want to complain (again)?

Hint: It’s the latter.

NK can keep him. I bet he's already realized there's a huge difference in NK jails and what lack of rule of law means.

There was a photo of this brilliant young man who thought it was going to be easier to escape being held accountable for his foolishness in the military. He has no idea how much he just effed up and found out. Well, another American idiot getting a final dose of reality. Pretty sure he isn't getting out of NK except in a coffin.

Hollywood just doesn’t make the kind of movies he can ride to stardom with. North Korea does.

And not thing one to do with this case.

it’s the closest we could ever have to the same exact thing.

so you propose just leave our military (even the ones who do something stupid) to rot in dictator captivity?

Let him eat grass, he is of no trade value, if he thought military rule was bad and that made him cross the line well let him eat grass because he won't get a free meal there.

so you propose just leave our military (even the ones who do something stupid) to rot in dictator captivity?

Like you propose the USA does to Ukraine, its ally?

I would rather not have a convict on any flights me or my family are using. Especially one being sent back for further punishment. Couldn't the military use one of their cargo flights for these things.

Like you propose the USA does to Ukraine, its ally?

let me quote your friend:

And not thing one to do with this case. 

a corrupt foreign country is obviously not a military service member.

Was reading about what happened to Otto Warmbier. War should have been declared over that.

Ignore this guy. Ignore his family. Say nothing about it to DPRK. Act like he never existed.

I didn’t know he is Black and potentially gay.

that complicates things for the left.

Blacklabel - believe it or not, not everyone thinks about things in such purely partisan terms. Why do you?

I didn’t know he is Black and potentially gay.

that complicates things for the left.

Literally nobody but you cares about this.

There is a new development in this story. He got on tour bus and just bolted to the other side.

Lets remember he is no Dennis Rodman. But hey, he might get to ball with dear leader as his personal 1 on 1 play buddy for thy dear leader. If he is lucky...

Remember this phrase BL? "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes". He played a stupid game, and the US should not have to deal with the stupid prizes. If the circumstances of him ending up in NK were completely different than him running head first over the DMZ, we'd be all for it. Idiots get what idiots deserve. He apparently wasn't worth keeping in the military in the long run considering what a trouble maker he was.

Lets remember he is no Dennis Rodman. But hey, he might get to ball with dear leader as his personal 1 on 1 play buddy for thy dear leader. If he is lucky...

I was thinking the same thing! Dennis Rodman puts in a good word, and King will end up staying in NK playing on their basketball team. That is the "good" ending. We already know how the "bad" ending will be.