American soldier Travis King’s dash into North Korea during a tour of the Joint Security Area last July triggered a serious diplomatic crisis for Washington.

After a two-month ordeal, U.S. officials managed to secure his release in “good spirits” and “good health” last week — about as positive a result as they might have hoped for.

But throughout, Pyongyang’s extended silence on the 23-year-old’s whereabouts, treatment and state of health raised international concern, and King’s case evoked comparisons to another American who found himself in DPRK custody not so long ago — college student Otto Warmbier.

This year marks the