Senior administration officials confirmed he was safely in American hands and in good health and spirits. King, who is currently headed back to the U.S. mainland, is happy to return and is looking forward to seeing his family, they added.
U.S. officials said they worked for months to bring King home, and the past few weeks involved close coordination with North Korea to ensure the service member was safe and could soon return home.
The successful diplomatic effort is also a positive sign for future communication channels with North Korea.
Sweden played a vital role, constantly keeping in contact with the Biden administration during negotiations. While there was a real fear that Pyongyang might hold King to extract concessions, that changed earlier this month, when officials working on the case learned from Sweden that North Korea wanted to release King.
Beijing also played a “very constructive role” in the process, officials said. North Korea transferred King to China, where he was picked up by U.S. officials Wednesday.
King, 23, was the first American to be detained in North Korea in roughly five years. The private was stationed in South Korea and crossed over the border during a civilian tour of a border village. The unexpected escape came as he was awaiting a transfer back to the U.S. amid possible discipline for an assault conviction in South Korea.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
