US Army soldier Travis King, who fled into North Korea last year, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to desertion and prior incidents as part of a plea agreement.
“The outcome of today’s court martial is a fair and just result that reflects the seriousness of the offences committed by Pvt King,” Major Allyson Montgomery said.
King faced 14 charges. He pleaded guilty to five charges: desertion, assaulting a non-commissioned officer, and three instances of disobeying an officer among the charges in a deal that was accepted by a military judge on Friday. The US Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel confirmed King’s guilty plea as part of a deal and said that “pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, all other charges and specifications were dismissed.”
Franklin Rosenblatt, the soldier’s lawyer, stated on Friday that King was released for good conduct and time served.
The judge, under the terms of the plea deal, sentenced Travis to one year of confinement, reduction in rank to private (E-1), forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a dishonourable discharge. With time already served and credit for good behaviour, Travis is now free and will return home. Travis King has faced significant challenges throughout his life, including a difficult upbringing, exposure to criminal environments and struggles with mental health. All these factors have compounded the hardships he faced in the military, according to his lawyer.
In July 2023, he was on deployment in South Korea and was due to return to Texas to face disciplinary hearings following a drunken bar fight and a stint in a South Korean prison. Instead, he exited the airport in the Seoul area, joined a tour group in the demilitarised zone, and crossed the border, where he faced detention. Pyongyang claimed that King fled to North Korea to escape abuse and racial discrimination in the US Army. However, after completing its investigation, North Korea decided in September to expel King for illegally entering its territory.
