Pyongyang made its first public statements on Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea on July 18 while on a guided tour of the Demilitarized Zone and has not been heard from since. North Korean state media reported Tuesday that King, who is Black, fled to the country in order to seek refuge from racism in the U.S. military. Travis King’s family has told reporters he had spoken about the racism he faced as a soldier, and called the situation “a big nightmare.” King had spent two months in a South Korean jail on assault charges and was due to return to the U.S., where he faced disciplinary procedures.