The deputy commander of the U.N. Command said Monday it has started conversations with North Korea over an American soldier who ran into the North last week across the Koreas' heavily armed border.
King, 23, was stationed in South Korea, but was scheduled to fly back to the U.S. to face disciplinary action when he escaped an airport outside of Seoul and managed to flee into North Korea.
Travis King crossed the border into North Korea on Tuesday, becoming the first U.S. service member to do so since 1982. A handful of American soldiers defected in the years after the Korean War.
The man was touring the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula when he crossed into North Korea without authorization, according to the United Nations Command.
Following the launch, officials in South Korea's capital of Seoul sent alerts for residents to prepare for evacuation, but there were no immediate reports of damages or disruption.
North Korea said that it plans to launch a satellite, which may be an attempt to put its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. It said the launch window is from May 31 to June 11.
Japan's prime minister expressed sympathy toward Koreans forced into industrial slavery during Japan's colonial rule as the leaders from the two countries vowed to strengthen cooperation.
An outpouring of criticism has focused on concerns that Seoul gave more than it got, and that the Washington Declaration might even make South Korea's neighborhood a more dangerous place.
The U.S. and South Korea announced steps on Wednesday to try to deter North Korea from using nuclear weapons, as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a state visit to Washington.
British American Tobacco, one of the largest tobacco companies in the world, agreed to settle allegations that it did illegal business with Pyongyang in violation of U.S. sanctions.
China usually sends defectors back to North Korea, but Pyongyang wouldn't let them in during the pandemic. That may soon change, and has led to concern among human rights advocates.
North Korea's missile tests Sunday signal the country likely will conduct provocative weapons testing activities during the U.S.-South Korean drills that are to run for 11 days.
Questions about the dynastic ruler's children and possible succession scenario arose with the apparent second child's repeated appearances in public in public in recent months.
