MILWAUKEE — Congressman Bryan Steil (Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District) joined Sandy Maxx and Erik Bilstad on WTMJ N.O.W to discuss various topics including Travis King, the United States soldier from Racine who is currently detained in North Korea for crossing the border.
King recently sprinted across North Korea’s heavily fortified border while on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone on Tuesday, July 18. Congressman Steil emphasized the importance of utilizing resources in order to bring King return back to the United States.
“I’ve spoken and provided resources, really to assist as a liaison back to the U.S Department of Defense, who’s taking lead in this situation,” Steil said. “I think what’s so essential is that we never leave a soldier behind.”
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Although the circumstances as to why King crossed the border into North Korea are relatively unknown, Steil says there is still one main goal.
“I think we want to make sure we’re utilizing appropriate resources to bring him home,” Steil said. “I know that the Defense Department, the White House, is fully engaged in this and hopefully we find ourselves with a resolution where he is coming back home to the United States of America.”
Travis King is the first known American held in North Korea in nearly five years.
“You don’t want to be in a country like North Korea for all the obvious reasons — especially when you’re a member of the United States military. It’s a concerning situation,” Steil said. “The circumstances of how this individual ended up there is still being explored but ultimately he’s still a United States soldier and I think it’s absolutely imperative we work to make sure we bring him home.”
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