US soldier to plead guilty to desertion to North Korea

US soldier Travis King stationed in South Korea who fled to the North will plead guilty to desertion, his lawyer said in a statement on Monday.

"He will plead guilty to five of those [14 offenses], including desertion, three counts of disobeying an officer, and assault on a noncommissioned officer," the soldier's attorney Franklin D. Rosenblatt said.

"He will plead not guilty to the remaining offenses, which the Army will withdraw and dismiss," he added.

Travis King in North Korea

In July 2023, Private Second Class Travis King became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years, after he ran across the border while on a sightseeing tour of the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula.

His guilty plea and case sentencing hearing is expected to take place on September 20 at a military court in Fort Bliss, Texas, the lawyer said.

The crime of desertion carries a jail sentence of up to five years.

"He will explain what he did, answer a military judge's questions about why he is pleading guilty, and be sentenced," Rosenblatt said.

"Travis is grateful to his friends and family who have supported him, and to all those outside of his circle who did not pre-judge his case based on the initial allegations," he added.

At the time of his arrest for entering its territory, the North Korean government said that King had defected to escape "mistreatment and racial discrimination in the US Army."

But after completing its investigation, Pyongyang last September said it had "decided to expel" King for illegally entering its territory. This followed attempts to broker his release and return to the US involving Sweden and China as mediators.

King served time in South Korean jail

Prior to fleeing to North Korea, the US soldier had been released from a South Korean prison. King had served nearly two months on assault charges and was ordered to return to the US to face disciplinary action.

US military officers took him to the airport and escorted as far as customs. King did not board the plane, instead joining a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom and then running into North Korean territory.

Rosenblatt said the US Army had charged the soldier with 14 other offenses.

"He will plead guilty to five of those, including desertion, 3 counts of disobeying an officer, and assault on a noncommissioned officer," the lawyer said.

"He will plead not guilty to the remaining offenses, which the Army will withdraw and dismiss," he added.

jcg/msh (AP, AFP, dpa)