U.S.-North Korea, Swedish contact line closed, U.S. soldiers who defected to North Korea ‘repatriation diplomacy’
It is expected that the information will be released after the US and North Korea activate the contact line in Sweden to begin “repatriation diplomacy” of US soldiers who defected to North Korea and North Korea investigates for about two weeks.
White House Spokesperson Jean-Pierre said at a briefing on the 19th, "What we are doing includes contacting the Swedish and Korean governments on this issue," explaining the security efforts of PFC King.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Ryu Miller said at a briefing on the 20th, "We sent a message to the North Korean side that Private King went to North Korea on his own and hoped for a safe return."
The Associated Press reported that Miller said the Pentagon had contacted North Korea's Korean People's Army on the 19th, but "the communication has not yet been responded to."
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that Miller said State Department officials had contacted Sweden about PFC King's case.
“Sweden, which has ties with North Korea and has an embassy in Pyongyang, has provided consular services to U.S. citizens, including North Korean detainees charged with illegal entry and espionage,” the Associated Press said.
The New York Times said, “North Korea has not yet acknowledged that PFC Travis T. King is being held, but given past practices with other American detainees, much of the response is likely to be determined by PFC King’s motives.” You may be sentenced,” it reported on the 20th.
Kim Yeol-soo, an expert on North Korea at the Korea Military Research Institute, told the Associated Press, "It will take at least two weeks without responding to US aid until North Korea completes its investigation into King."
Expert Kim told the Associated Press about the contact line, "communication can be done through the hotline between the North and South Korean intelligence agencies."
The Associated Press said on the 20th that the Korean Foreign Ministry did not explain in detail, saying, “Seoul and Washington were in contact.”
In her first public commentary on the 20th, U.S. Secretary of the Army Christine Warmers said, “Washington is fully mobilized to contact Pyongyang through the UN communication channel.”
Reuters said on the 20th that “North Korea has remained silent and US officials said that North Korea did not respond to communications from the US military about the soldiers.