SEOUL—The U.S. soldier being held in North Korea had faced assault allegations in South Korea last year and spent nearly seven weeks in a detention facility, according to U.S. officials, as new details emerged about the legal issues faced by an American who crossed the Korean border.
The fate of the soldier, identified as Army Private 2nd Class Travis King, has handed Washington a fresh challenge in its relations with Pyongyang as tensions have been rising on the Korean Peninsula.