147

North Korea says Travis King wants refuge from mistreatment, racism in US (www.reuters.com)

submitted 1 year ago by NightOwl@lemm.ee to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

49 comments fedilink hide all child comments

all 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] donescobar@lemmy.world 77 points 1 year ago

Lmao and he goes to the beacon of freedom and no racism of North Korea all to avoid an extremely short jail time for being a shitbag

[-] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 1 year ago

extremely short jail time for being a shitbag

What did he do?

[-] BrianTheFirst@kbin.social 35 points 1 year ago

From the linked article:

King, who joined the U.S. Army in January 2021, faced two allegations of assault in South Korea, and eventually pleaded guilty to one instance of assault and destroying public property for damaging a police car during a profanity-laced tirade against Koreans, according to court documents. He was due to face more disciplinary measures when he arrived back in the United States.

[-] Nefyedardu@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago

So this refuge from racism he desires (according to NK) doesn't extend to Koreans I see

[-] Aesthesiaphilia@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago

I heard - purely rumors - that he had been subject to tons of racism from the South Koreans and finally snapped one day.

[-] exohuman@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago

I’m not surprised.

[-] freagle@lemmygrad.ml -1 points 1 year ago

This actually makes complete sense

[-] Zippy@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

No it doesn't. Why isn't every other minority serving member in South Korea snapping and taking refuge in North Korea?

You can simply be responsible to the decisions you make.

[-] freagle@lemmygrad.ml -4 points 1 year ago

LOL. How come every black person didn't try to free themselves from slavery? How come every black person didn't become a civil rights activist? How come every black person didn't march on Washington, become a conductor on the underground railroad, or join the Black Panthers?

Your grasp on what it means for an issue to be systemic is ridiculous.

[-] KrimsonBun@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

destroying police cars is quite poggers as long as nobody's harmed

[-] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks

load more comments (13 replies)

[-] yetAnotherUser@feddit.de 43 points 1 year ago

King, who joined the U.S. Army in January 2021, faced two allegations of assault in South Korea, and eventually pleaded guilty to one instance of assault and destroying public property for damaging a police car during a profanity-laced tirade against Koreans, according to court documents. He was due to face more disciplinary measures when he arrived back in the United States.

It's just a hunch, but I believe he has more experience with racism than he's willing to admit.

[-] Zippy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Ya he likely was making racists remarks about the Koreans.

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 12 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

SEOUL, Aug 16 (Reuters) - North Korea has concluded that U.S. soldier Travis King wants refuge there or elsewhere because of "inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination" in the U.S. and the military, state media said on Wednesday.

It was the North's first public acknowledgement of the army private's crossing from South Korea on July 18 while on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the heavily fortified border between the neighbours.

"During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army," KCNA said, using the North's official name.

In August, King's uncle, Myron Gates, told ABC News that his nephew, who is Black, was experiencing racism during his military deployment, and that after he spent time in a South Korean jail, he did not sound like himself.

It added that King's mother had been in touch with the Army and appreciated a statement by the U.S. Department of Defense that it remained focused on bringing him home.

A spokesman for the United Nations Command (UNC), which oversees the border village where King crossed, said he did not have anything to add to previous statements.

I'm a bot and I'm open source!