Washington - Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison, the deputy commander of the United Nations (UN) Command, announced on Monday (July 24) that conversations have commenced with North Korea regarding the detention of American soldier Private Travis King. Last week, King crossed the heavily armed border between North and South Korea and ran into the North.

Harrison stated that the communication process began using established channels at the Joint Security Area, as outlined in the armistice agreement. The well-being of Private Travis King remains the primary concern for the UN Command, and Harrison expressed his optimism while acknowledging uncertainty about the progress of the talks with North Korea.

The deputy commander's remarks came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that Washington had engaged in discussions with Pyongyang about King's detention.

Notably, North Korea had been disregarding previous requests from American officials for information regarding King. Analysts suggested that North Korea might delay providing meaningful information to maximize their leverage and add urgency to the US efforts to secure King's release, potentially seeking concessions in return, such as a reduction in US military activities with South Korea. Concerns also arose about King being used as a propaganda tool, as North Korean state media remained silent about the matter.

Before his crossing into North Korea, King had already served detention in South Korea on charges of assault and damaging public property. He was scheduled to return to his home base in Texas last week to face disciplinary action.