Detained US soldier Travis King entered North Korea due to "inhumanmaltreatment and racial discrimination inside the US Army", the communist country's state media has claimed.

He has also "expressed willingness" to hunt refuge in North Korea after crossing the border final month, Pyongyang has mentioned in its first feedback on the story.

State information company KCNA additionally mentioned King partly determined to enter the nation final month as a result of he was "disillusioned at the unequal American society".

The US Pentagon mentioned it couldn't confirm King's alleged feedback.

"The department's priority is to bring Private King home. We are working through all available channels to achieve that outcome," a Pentagon spokesperson mentioned.

King, 23, is the primary American to be detained in North Korea for nearly 5 years.

North Korean investigators have concluded that King crossed intentionally and illegally, intending to remain within the North or in a 3rd nation, KCNA mentioned.

The company mentioned in a press release: "During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK as he harboured ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army.

"He additionally expressed his willingness to hunt refugee within the DPRK or a 3rd nation, saying that he was disillusioned on the unequal American society."

King, 23, went into the North whereas on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) - the closely fortified border between the 2 Koreas.

US officers have mentioned they imagine he crossed the border deliberately.

Last month, King's sister mentioned he was "not the sort to get into bother".

His sister, Jaqueda Gates, instructed NBC News: "This is crazy. I was just talking to him, literally 48 hours ago (before the DMZ incident).

"My brother, he isn't the sort to get into bother like that. It all simply sounds made up."

Content Source: information.sky.com