Army private who fled to North Korea to plead guilty to multiple charges

Aug 27, 2024

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

U.S. Army Pvt. Travis King, who crossed into North Korea last year, is set to plead guilty to five military charges, including desertion, according to his lawyer. King, who fled across the Demilitarized Zone from South Korea into North Korea in July 2023, faced 14 charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including assault and solicitation of child pornography.

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King’s lawyer, Franklin Rosenblatt, confirmed that as part of a plea deal, King will admit to desertion, assault on a noncommissioned officer, and three counts of disobeying a lawful order.

In this photo taken in Seoul on August 16, 2023, a man walks past a television showing a news broadcast featuring a photo of US soldier Travis King (C), who ran across the border into North Korea while part of a tour group visiting the Demilitarized Zone on South Korea's border on July 18. Travis King defected to North Korea to escape "mistreatment and racial discrimination in the US Army", state media said Wednesday, Pyongyang's first official confirmation they were holding the American soldier. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP) (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images) — Getty Images

“He will plead not guilty to the remaining offenses, which the Army will withdraw and dismiss,” Rosenblatt said.

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King, who joined the Army in January 2021, was previously detained in South Korea on assault charges before his unauthorized crossing into North Korea. After spending over two months in North Korean custody, King was released following negotiations involving Swedish diplomats, who facilitated his transfer to U.S. custody via China.

Upon his return to the U.S., King was held at Fort Bliss, Texas, where his plea and sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 20. If the military judge accepts the plea deal, King will likely face sentencing according to the terms agreed upon. If the plea is rejected, the case could proceed to a contested court-martial.

King’s mother, Claudine Gates, has expressed concern over her son’s mental health, suggesting that his behavior may have been influenced by his experiences during deployment.

“A mother knows her son, and I believe something happened to mine while he was deployed,” she said.

The U.S. has emphasized that no concessions were made to North Korea to secure King’s release, and his plea deal will see nine of the original charges, including child pornography offenses, dismissed.

Tags: North Korea, South Korean Military, Travis King, U.S. Army, U.S. military

[KARAH RUCKER]

A U.S. ARMY PRIVATE WHO FLED TO NORTH KOREA LAST YEAR WILL PLEAD GUILTY TO SEVERAL MILITARY CHARGES, INCLUDING DESERTION AND ASSAULT. THIS COMES AFTER HIS RETURN TO THE U.S. FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS INVOLVING NORTH KOREA, SWEDEN, AND CHINA. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE CASE AND THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES.

U.S. ARMY PRIVATE TRAVIS KING, CROSSED INTO NORTH KOREA IN JULY 2023 WHERE HE WAS DETAINED FOR OVER TWO MONTHS. SWEDISH DIPLOMATS ULTIMATELY NEGOTIATED HIS RELEASE, FACILITATING HIS TRANSFER TO THE U.S. THROUGH CHINA.

INITIALLY CHARGED WITH 14 OFFENSES UNDER THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE, KING IS SET TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FIVE — DESERTION, THREE COUNTS OF DISOBEYING A LAWFUL ORDER, AND ASSAULTING A NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER. UNDER THE PLEA DEAL, THE OTHER 9 CHARGES INCLUDING FOR SOLICITATION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, WILL BE DROPPED..

BEFORE FLEEING TO NORTH KOREA, KING WAS STATIONED IN SOUTH KOREA BUT FACED DISCIPLINARY ISSUES, INCLUDING ASSAULT CHARGES. ON THE DAY OF HIS FLIGHT, HE WAS SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO THE U.S. FOR FURTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTION BUT ESCAPED WHILE AT THE AIRPORT, JOINING A CIVILIAN TOUR OF THE BORDER BEFORE CROSSING INTO NORTH KOREA.

THE REASONS BEHIND HIS DECISION TO FLEE REMAIN UNCLEAR, THOUGH HIS MOTHER HAS EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT HIS MENTAL HEALTH, SUGGESTING SOMETHING MAY HAVE HAPPENED DURING HIS DEPLOYMENT THAT LED TO HIS BEHAVIOR.

KING’S PLEA AND SENTENCING HEARING WILL TAKE PLACE AT FORT BLISS, TEXAS, NEXT MONTH.

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