Military member who defected to North Korea intends to admit guilt for desertion

An Army private named Travis King, who fled to North Korea over a year ago, has decided to plead guilty to desertion and four other charges, according to his lawyer. King will take responsibility for his actions and admit guilt to a total of five military offenses, which include desertion and assaulting an officer. As part of the deal, nine other charges, including possession of sexual images of a child, will be withdrawn and dismissed.

King is scheduled to have a hearing at Fort Bliss, Texas, on Sept. 20 to discuss his actions and provide an explanation for his behavior. His attorney, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, stated that King is willing to take responsibility for his actions. Rosenblatt also expressed King’s gratitude towards his friends and family for their support during this challenging time.

The possible sentence that King might face remains uncertain, as desertion is considered a serious charge that could lead to imprisonment. The plea talks between the two sides were first reported by the AP last month. King’s escape to North Korea occurred shortly after his release from a South Korean prison, where he had been serving time for assault charges.

After being taken to the airport by military officers to return to Fort Bliss for disciplinary action, King instead joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom and ran across the border into North Korea. He was detained by North Korean authorities but was later expelled. King was flown back to Texas on Sept. 28 and has been in custody since then.

In October, the U.S. military filed charges against King under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including desertion, assaulting other officers, possessing alcohol unlawfully, making false statements, and possessing inappropriate video content involving a child. These allegations date back to July 10, the same day he was released from the South Korean prison.