Travis King, American soldier who crossed into North Korea, heads to U.S. after secret journey through China

Pvt. Travis King, the American soldier who crossed into North Korea in July, is en route to the U.S. after a clandestine journey across the border to China and then home to the United States, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

King has departed Chinese airspace and is en route to a U.S. military base, said a senior administration official, who like others interviewed for this story was granted anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that the administration had secured King's return.

"We appreciate the dedication of the interagency team that has worked tirelessly out of concern for Private King’s wellbeing," Sullivan said in a statement. "In addition, we thank the government of Sweden for its diplomatic role serving as the protecting power for the United States in [North Korea] and the government of the People’s Republic of China for its assistance in facilitating the transit of Private King."

The plan to bring King home came together over the last few weeks after Sweden, a frequent interlocutor between Washington and Pyongyang, conveyed to U.S. officials that North Korea wanted to release him, according to the senior administration official.

Officials in the U.S., Sweden and China engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity to secure King's release and safe passage home. Swedish government officials on the ground in North Korea first facilitated King's transfer out of the country to neighboring China, where he was handed over to U.S. officials. He has now departed Chinese air space and is headed to a U.S. military base. Chinese officials did not play any mediating role.

"All of these pieces had to come together quickly, and with the greatest concern for Pvt. King's care and ensuring his safe and healthy transit home," according to the senior administration official.

President Joe Biden followed the issue closely, the person said, declining to say whether the president has spoken to King or his family.

The U.S. did not make any concessions to North Korea in exchange for King's return, the senior administration official said.

U.S. officials declined to comment on whether the U.S. military would take any disciplinary action against King, who may be facing a court martial. Once on U.S. soil he will be evaluated and guided through a "reintegration process that will address any medical and emotional concerns," said a second senior administration official.

"Our focus right now is on Pvt. King's health and ensuring that he receives all appropriate support before reuniting with his family," the first senior administration official said.

The news comes after state media reported on Wednesday that North Korea had decided to expel the American soldier who fled across the border into the authoritarian country two months ago.

Following an investigation by North Korean officials, King confessed to illegally entering the country, state-run news outlet KCNA reported, adding that he expressed “ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” within the U.S. Army and was “disillusioned about the unequal U.S. society.”

It was not possible to verify the statements attributed to King, which were reported only through KCNA.

King, who in July was supposed to return to the U.S. after spending time in a South Korean prison for assault, opted instead to cross the heavily armed border into repressive North Korea while he was part of a tour group.

Shortly after the Army private’s actions, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth refused to ascribe a motivation but hinted that King was likely stressed about his situation.

“He is a young soldier, he was facing consequences. I imagine he had a lot of negative feelings,” she told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum in July. “He may not have been thinking clearly, frankly, but we just don’t know.”

It's unclear why North Korea released King, but Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the Defense Department was working to secure his release ever since he crossed the border.

"Our biggest concern about Pvt. King is that we want to bring him home and we are doing whatever we can through the interagency, from DOD and other partners, to find a way that we could bring him home," she said in July.