Private Travis King crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides North and South Korea on Tuesday.
The White House stated that the US has made efforts to contact North Korea's military through "multiple channels" in an attempt to negotiate with them.
US authorities are still trying to determine the soldier's location and well-being, as they remain concerned about his safety.
The situation arises during a highly tense period with North Korea. Relations with the US have significantly deteriorated in recent years, with North Korea conducting numerous tests of increasingly powerful missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The US issues a travel advisory warning its citizens not to visit North Korea - one of the most isolated countries in the world - due to the "continuing serious risk of arrest" and the "critical threat of wrongful detention."
It is currently unclear whether PV2 King has defected or if he intends to return. Given his low-ranking status, experts believe he may have limited propaganda and intelligence value, potentially prompting North Korea to release him. Nevertheless, his fate remains highly uncertain.
The absence of prior incidents makes it challenging to predict the next course of action - it has been decades since a US soldier last defected to North Korea.
The fact that Pyongyang is not responding to attempts made by the US to establish communication only adds to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.
PV2 King, who was stationed in South Korea, was scheduled to return to the US to face disciplinary action. However, upon parting ways with his military escorts at Incheon Airport near Seoul on Tuesday, the 23-year-old did not board the plane. Instead, he embarked on what appears to be a pre-arranged tour towards the heavily fortified border - though the specific details of how he managed to do so remain unclear.
US defense officials reported that the soldier "wilfully" crossed into North Korea over one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world.
According to an internal US government report cited by the Washington-based news website the Messenger, PV2 King sprinted towards a building on the North Korean side of the border. After banging on the door vigorously and receiving no response, he went around the back of the building and entered a van waiting for him. He was then immediately driven away, as reported by the website.
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has acted as a separation between the two countries since the Korean War in the 1950s, during which the US supported the South. The war concluded with an armistice, meaning that the two sides are still technically at war. Presently, tens of thousands of US troops continue to remain stationed in South Korea.
According to James Fretwell, an analyst at the Seoul-based specialist site NK News, Pyongyang might exploit PV2 King as a propaganda tool to criticize the US military.
Fretwell stated that it is possible for King to appear in North Korean state media in the near future. However, this depends on the duration of his interrogation and potential Covid-19 quarantine, as North Korea continues to maintain a strict border lockdown in response to the pandemic.
On the other hand, Jenny Town, the director of the Stimson Center's 38 North Program, believes that Mr. King does not present an ideal or compelling soldier story from North Korea's perspective.
Town pointed out that there have been cases in the past where US soldiers defected and were allowed to stay in North Korea, but the political value and circumstances surrounding those cases were very different, involving a different time and leadership.
Amidst the unfolding situation, diplomats and military officials are making every effort to establish communication with North Korea to ascertain the circumstances surrounding PV2 King's disappearance. However, engaging with the North Koreans is proving to be challenging.
The United States, having no diplomatic relations with North Korea, is exploring other channels to communicate. Department officials are in contact with counterparts in South Korea and Sweden to gather information about PV2 King. As of now, US officials remain unaware of his current condition or whereabouts.
Since there are no diplomatic ties between the US and North Korea, the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang often acts as an intermediary on behalf of the US. However, due to the ongoing border closure amid the pandemic, the diplomatic staff of the Swedish embassy is currently not present in the country.
Both the UN Command, responsible for the border area, and the South Korean military maintain direct phone lines to the North Korean military, which they call daily to check in. However, the North Koreans do not always respond.
Experts opine that given the tensions between North Korea and the US, and the impasse in bilateral talks, the North has little to gain by holding onto PV2 King. They suggest that Pyongyang may seek compensation and then expel him for unauthorized entry. In the best-case scenario, the American soldier would return home safely, potentially with some propaganda victory for Pyongyang. This could also create an opportunity for US and North Korean officials to resume dialogue and contacts that were stagnant during the pandemic.
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