Travis King, Army Soldier Who Fled to North Korea, Pleads Guilty

Travis King, a U.S. Army private, recently pleaded guilty at a general court-martial hearing at Fort Bliss, Texas, following his dramatic crossing from South Korea into North Korea last year.

As part of a plea agreement, King admitted to five charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), including desertion. The judge overseeing the case accepted the government’s request to dismiss an additional nine charges against him.

After endorsing the plea deal, the judge sentenced King to one year of confinement. However, considering the time he has already spent in pre-trial confinement and his good behavior, he was immediately released.

King’s attorney, Franklin Rosenblatt, stated that his client took responsibility for his actions during the proceedings. “Travis explained his actions, answered the judge’s questions about his decision to plead guilty, and accepted responsibility for his actions,” Rosenblatt noted.

Despite the plea deal, Rosenblatt emphasized that the negative public perception and the ongoing consequences of King’s actions will serve as a lasting punishment. “He has accepted responsibility during today’s court martial— but make no mistake, the ongoing consequences of his actions, coupled with the confinement he’s endured, represent a continuous punishment for Travis King,” Rosenblatt added.

The plea agreement had initially been reported by Rosenblatt in August, following preliminary discussions with prosecutors that began in July.

A spokesperson for the Office of Special Trial Counsel confirmed earlier that if the presiding judge accepted King’s guilty plea, the sentencing would proceed according to the plea agreement.

In July 2023, King crossed into North Korea, an act that sparked an international incident. He was detained by North Korean authorities for over two months after running into the country at the Joint Security Area located in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

Before joining a tour group that led him to the DMZ, King had escaped from his Army escort while at the airport, where he was supposed to board a flight back to the United States. This escape occurred shortly after he had been released by South Korean authorities following his detention on assault charges.

Upon his return to the United States in September, King was placed in a military reintegration program at the Brooke Army Medical Center, which is designed for American civilians and military personnel who have been detained abroad. The Army refrained from commenting on potential disciplinary actions against him, focusing instead on his physical and mental health.

However, in October, military prosecutors did file criminal charges against King totaling eight counts.