What’s new: U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan thanked the Chinese government for its help with the return transit of Travis King, the American soldier who crossed into North Korea two months ago.
Sullivan made the remarks as he announced King’s return in a White House statement on Wednesday. He also thanked the Swedish government, which serves as the “protecting power for the U.S. in North Korea.”
At the request of the U.S. and North Korea, China “provided necessary assistance in the spirit of humanitarianism,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said Thursday during a daily press briefing when asked about China’s role in the matter.
The background: King is a 23-year-old U.S. Army private who had served in South Korea. He ran off to North Korea on July 18 during a civilian tour of a border village, becoming the first American known to be detained in North Korea in nearly five years, according to U.S. media reports.
Following his expulsion from North Korea Wednesday, King was taken to the Chinese border city of Dandong by Swedish officials, where he was met by U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns. King flew to another Chinese city and then on to Osan Air Force Base in South Korea, before his return to the U.S, Reuters reported.
King is expected to undergo psychological assessments and a debriefing, according to the transcript of a Thursday press briefing from the Pentagon.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
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