U.S. soldier Travis King was sentenced to a prison term equal to the time he had already served for running across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea. He pleaded guilty to desertion, assault on a non-commissioned officer, and disobeying lawful orders. He was sentenced to 12 months for desertion and one month for each of the other charges, totaling 338 days with credit for time served. King was dishonorably discharged, a decision that his defense team had hoped to avoid. He had enlisted in the Army in January 2021 and had difficulty adjusting, facing racism in his unit. He had escaped from being escorted back to the U.S. from South Korea and crossed into North Korea where he was detained before being returned to the U.S. in a diplomatic effort. The incident paralleled that of U.S. soldier James Dresnok who defected to North Korea in 1962. Tragically, Dresnok died in North Korea in 2016. King’s defense attorneys argued that he was encouraged to enlist and faced challenges in his military service, leading to his actions. The outcome of the court-martial was deemed fair and just by prosecutor Maj. Allyson Montgomery to deter similar offenses in the future. With the conclusion of the trial, King is now free to return home.
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Soldier who crossed into North Korea from U.S. sentenced to time served
