CNN  — 

North Korea on Wednesday confirmed publicly for the first time that US Army Private Travis King crossed into its territory.

A statement from the country’s government-controlled Korean Central News Agency claimed King had expressed “his willingness to seek refugee” in North Korea or a third country.

It also claimed King confessed that he had decided to enter North Korea as “he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army.”

King had crossed the military demarcation line from South Korea into North Korea in July during a tour at the Joint Security Area.

KCNA added that he had admitted of “illegally” intruding into the territory of North Korea.

CNN has reached out to the US Defense Department for comment.

This story is breaking and will be updated.