Travis King, a US Army soldier, was sentenced to 12 months’ confinement after pleading guilty to desertion and assaulting an officer, among other charges. The military court judge at Fort Bliss, Texas, warned that without the plea, King could have faced up to 20 years in prison. However, due to the 338 days he had already served awaiting trial and his good behavior, he was declared a free man on Friday. In addition to his confinement, King also received a dishonorable discharge from the US Army. His attorney, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, confirmed that King would be returning home after his release.
King faced a total of nine offenses, including possession of sexual images of a child, which were withdrawn and dismissed under the terms of a plea agreement he reached. His journey began when he ran across the heavily fortified border from South Korea into North Korea in July 2023, becoming the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years. This incident followed his release from a South Korean prison where he had served almost two months on assault charges. After being taken to the airport to return to Fort Bliss for disciplinary action, instead of boarding the plane, King joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom before running across the border.
Despite the heavily guarded border, King managed to cross into North Korea and was subsequently detained by the authorities. After spending about two months in North Korean custody, Pyongyang announced that it would expel him. King was then flown back to Texas on September 28 and has been in custody since then. In total, King spent 71 days in North Korean detention before being returned to the United States. Ultimately, King’s legal troubles came to an end with his plea agreement and release from confinement. Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to reporting on this story.
