RACINE, WISCONSIN: The uncle of a US soldier who allegedly crossed into North Korea after being released from a South Korean jail has claimed that he was "breaking down" ever since his 7-year-old cousin died from a rare disease. Travis King was in South Korea’s prison cell for almost one and a half months after he reportedly struck a squad car. On July 10, he was released and was destined for Fort Bliss, Texas; but instead of boarding the US-bound flight, he reportedly crossed the border and went to the nation of Kim Jong Un.
Following the incident, the American-led United Nations Command issued a statement, noting, “A US National on a JSA (Joint Security Area) orientation tour crossed, without authorization, the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and is working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident.”
Besides, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reportedly stated, “We’re closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier’s next-of-kin and engaging to address this incident.”
Was Travis King mentally disturbed when he fled to North Korea?
But the soldier's uncle told The Daily Beast that the 23-year-old's mental condition had been not stable before the incident. Carl Gates said that King had difficulty processing the death of his 7-year-old cousin, King'Nazir. The child was the son of Gates. The uncle shared, “His mom came down on a few occasions, and she then talked to him and let him know what was going on with my son. And it seemed like he was breaking down. It affected Travis a lot. Because he couldn’t be here. He was in the Army, overseas.”
King'Nazir reportedly lost his life earlier this year because of a rare genetic disorder called SPTLC 2. Gates continued, “When my son was on life support, and when my son passed away… Travis started [being] reckless [and] crazy when he knew my son was about to die. I know it was related to what he did.”
‘The pain came from my son’
King’s uncle also asserted that he “loved and cherished” his baby cousin. He added, “Picture yourself being in the Army and your baby cousin from your favorite, my only child, he’s struggling and going through pain. And he’s crying like a baby, and now you’re in the service and you can’t do nothing about it. And then you’re crying like a baby. The pain came from my son, and it escalated to this shit.”
This comes after King’s mother, Claudine, reportedly said, “I can’t see Travis doing anything like that. I’m so proud of him. I just want him to come home, come back to America.”
