Tae Yong-ho: "There is hope of bringing US soldiers back... but North Korea's intentions are clear"

Assemblyman Taeyoungho's Facebook
"Trying to set a precedent for sending back to the original location"

Regarding North Korea's classification of U.S. Army Private Travis King, who defected to North Korea, as an 'illegal intruder' rather than a 'voluntary defector,' Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, said, "There is a growing hope that the U.S. soldier can be brought back home."

On the 16th, Tae stated on his Facebook, "This seems to indicate that North Korea has somewhat accepted the U.S. position that the soldier should not be classified as a prisoner of war."

On July 19th, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Travis King's grandfather is seen being interviewed next to a photo of King. Photo by AP·Yonhap News

He continued, "North Korea’s refusal to explicitly accept his asylum request and leaving room for interpretation adds to the hope," and analyzed, "Especially given the current U.S.-North Korea relations and face-saving considerations, North Korea may be subtly implying that since the soldier cannot be sent back to the U.S., where he risks punishment for defecting, he could be sent to a third country according to his wishes."

However, Tae clarified the underlying intention behind North Korea’s official stance, saying, "The intention is clear: this incident is being used to establish a precedent that anyone crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Joint Security Area (JSA) without prior agreement between North Korean forces and the United Nations Command (UNC) will be classified as an 'illegal intruder' and sent back to their original location."

Tae explained, "Currently, anyone crossing the MDL within the JSA must have prior agreement between the UNC and North Korean forces. In the past, when North Korean journalists or Russian tourists crossed the MDL and sought asylum on our side without prior agreement, North Korea argued that crossing the MDL without agreement was an 'illegal act' and that asylum should not be granted."

He further elaborated, "If we accept North Korea’s position that these individuals are 'illegal intruders' and must be sent back, North Korea’s claim that anyone crossing the MDL from their side into ours is an illegal intruder will intensify. Consequently, the UNC’s role would shift from 'accepting' to 'controlling' such individuals, and they should be sent back."

Additionally, Tae stated, "The most desirable solution is for North Korea to send the U.S. soldier to a third country, where his intention to return to the U.S. can be confirmed, and then bring him back to the United States."