North Korea

U.S. soldier Travis King arrives in Texas after being expelled by North Korea

King, 23, ran across the border into the isolated country this summer.

American soldier Travis King has arrived back on U.S. soil after being expelled by North Korea, months after he ran across the border into the reclusive state and sparked an international incident.

The U.S. Army private landed in San Antonio, Texas, in the early hours of Thursday morning, a defense official said.

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King was expected to be taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio overnight, according to two defense officials.

During his time there, he is expected to undergo post-isolation support activities, known as PISA, which are designed to help prisoners of war, hostages and wrongfully detained Americans reacclimatize to being in the U.S. and respond to any trauma or post-traumatic stress.

In a briefing call Wednesday, senior administration officials said King appeared to be in good health and good spirits — and was “very happy” to be on his way home and closer to reuniting with family.

What lies ahead for King following the acclimatization process was not immediately clear.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

A New Zealand tourist remembers the moment an American soldier ran across the heavily-fortified border between South Korea and North Korea.
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