Travis King, a US soldier who crossed the border from South to North Korea earlier this year, is now in American custody after being expelled by North Korea to China, as confirmed by a US official.

North Korea had announced its decision to expel Private King, citing his admission to illegal intrusion into the country and his disillusionment with what he described as unequal aspects of US society. The state news agency, KCNA, released the final results of its investigation into King’s border crossing in July, revealing his motivations. According to KCNA, King confessed to illegally intruding into North Korean territory due to his feelings of maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US army, which led to disillusionment with what he perceived as an unequal American society.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official name of North Korea, expressed these findings, highlighting King’s grievances.

The incident occurred on July 18 when Private King ran from South to North Korea while on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area along the heavily fortified border separating the two countries.

Notably, while there have been previous attempts by US soldiers stationed in South Korea to desert or defect to North Korea, Private King’s expulsion occurred relatively quickly in comparison to others who spent years in the reclusive state before securing their release.