Army private who fled to North Korea will plead guilty to desertion
WASHINGTON — A Soldier who fled to North Korea will plead guilty to desertion and four other charges just over a year ago and will take responsibility for his conduct, his lawyer said Monday.
Travis King’s attorney, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, told The Associated Press that King plans to plead guilty to military offenses, including desertion and assaulting an officer. Nine other felony charges, including possession of sexual images of a child, will be dismissed under the terms of the deal.
King will have the opportunity to discuss his actions at a hearing in Fort Bliss, Texas, on September 20.
“He wants to take responsibility for the things he’s done,” Rosenblatt said, declining to comment on a possible sentence his client might receive.
Desertion is a serious charge and can result in a prison sentence of up to three years.
The AP reported last month that both sides were in settlement talks.
King shot away across the heavily fortified border from South Korea in July 2023, becoming the first American to be detained in North Korea in nearly five years.
His flight to North Korea came shortly after he was released from a South Korean prison where he had been held for nearly two months. assault charges.
About a week after his release from prison, military officers escorted him to the airport so he could return to Fort Bliss to face disciplinary action. He was escorted all the way to customs, but instead of boarding the plane, he joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village PanmunjomHe then ran across the border, where guards and often tourists are present.
He was held by North Korea, but after about two months Pyongyang abruptly announced that it would deport him. On September 28, he was flown back to Texas, where he remains.
In October, the U.S. military filed a series of charges against King under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including: desertionas well as kicking and punching other officers, unlawful possession of alcohol, making a false statement and possessing a video of a child engaged in sexual activity. These charges date back to July 10, the same day he was released from prison.