U.S. Soldier Who Fled To North Korea Has Wisconsin Ties

RACINE, WI — A United States soldier with ties to Wisconsin who illegally crossed into North Korea on Tuesday had apparently been "breaking down" over the death of a beloved younger cousin, according to a report.

The soldier — an Army private who joined in January 2021 — was identified as 23-year-old Travis King.

King's mother is from Racine, Wisconsin. Carl Gates, the brother of King’s mother, told the Daily Beast that the soldier "loved and cherished" his 7-year-old son.

Gates’ son died in late February from SPTLC 2, a rare and untreatable genetic disorder. Following the child's death, King began acting "reckless" and "crazy" when the 7-year-old was on life support and later died, Gates told the Daily Beast.

King had spent nearly two months in a South Korean prison on assault charges. He was released on July 10 and was set to be sent back to the U.S., and he could have faced more discipline from the Army.

According to officials, King was taken to the airport and made it to customs when he left the airport and joined a tour of Panmunjom, a Korean border village.

He then fled across the heavily guarded border.

"We’re closely monitoring and investigating the situation," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a Pentagon news conference. Austin confirmed that the soldier was likely now in North Korean custody, though North Korea’s state media had not yet reported on the border crossing.

King is the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.