The Biden administration is debating whether Travis King the US Army soldier who crossed into North Korea last month as a prisoner of war . King could potentially qualify for POW status since the Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty meaning the US and North Korea are still technically at war . Granting King prisonerofwar status could afford him greater protections under the Geneva Convention which provides strict guidelines to signatories about how a prisoner must be treated while in captivity . A former senior Air Force lawyer said its unlikely King would receive POW status because there was no active fighting when he entered North Korea . The North Koreans have acknowledged receipt of the UN Commands inquiries about Kings whereabouts and wellbeing officials have said but have not engaged with the US substantively on the issue . A Defense official said that the Departments priority is to bring Private King home and that we are working through all available channels to achieve that outcome . King was due to be removed from the US military upon his return to Fort Bliss Texas in July has reported . But experts say it is unclear that North Korea would even acknowledge POW status or afford King the protections it bestows King the rights it bestowed to the U.S. Officials have said that King was not captured by the North Korean regime but have refused to engage with the North Korea directly with the United States or to provide a neutral independent observer check on the detainee . The official said. The North Korea has not responded to the request . The U. Koreans have not responded directly to King. The official has said that he has not commented directly to the North Koreans. He has not said directly to him. He was not directly acknowledge that he was captured. He had entered into North. to provide an explanation. He chose to
US weighs whether to designate US Army soldier in North Korea a POW . U.S
