Travis King, Army private who fled into North Korea, pleads guilty to desertion – Washington Examiner
Travis King, an Army private who fled from South Korea into North Korea in 2023, has pleaded guilty to charges including desertion and assault on a noncommissioned officer. During a court-martial at Fort Bliss, Texas, King accepted a plea deal that avoids nine additional charges. He will not serve any jail time due to time already served and credit for good behavior, despite being sentenced to a year in prison. His plea encompasses five total charges, including disobeying an officer. King’s attorney stated that he has taken responsibility for his actions and explained his decision to plead guilty in court.
Travis King, Army private who fled into North Korea, pleads guilty to desertion
Travis King, the Army private who dashed into North Korea from South Korea in 2023, has pled guilty to desertion and other charges.
King had been court-martialed at Fort Bliss, Texas, and he took a plea deal to avoid nine additional charges.
The soldier will not face any jail time because of time served and credit for good behavior despite his one-year sentence. King’s five charges include desertion, assault on a noncommissioned officer, and three counts of disobeying an officer.
“Travis explained his actions, answered the judge’s questions about his decision to plead guilty, and accepted responsibility for his actions,” King’s attorney Franklin Rosenblatt said.
“He has accepted responsibility during today’s court martial — but make no mistake, the negative public perception and the ongoing consequences of his actions, coupled with the confinement he’s endured, represents an ongoing punishment Travis King will endure for the rest of his life,” he added.
King caused an international incident when he crossed into North Korea in July 2023 from the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea. North Korean authorities detained him for more than two months.
He had previously escaped from an Army escort, which was set to bring him onto a plane bound for the United States after he was held by South Korean authorities on assault charges.
After being released by North Korea, the Army took King into a military reintegration program at the Brooke Army Medical Center, a program offered to military and civilians who have been detained involuntarily.
Prosecutors filed charges against King in October.
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