Travis King, U.S. Army private who ran into North Korea, to plead guilty to desertion

Travis King, U.S. Army Private, to Admit Guilt in Desertion Case

Travis King, the U.S. Army private who crossed into North Korea last year, is set to admit guilt to desertion as part of a plea agreement, according to his attorney.

King will plead guilty to five of the 14 initial charges, including one count of desertion, one count of assault on a non-commissioned officer, and three counts of disobeying lawful orders, as stated by his lawyer, Franklin Rosenblatt. The news of King’s guilty plea was first reported by CNN.

The remaining nine charges, which were part of the original case against King under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, will be dropped and dismissed, Rosenblatt confirmed. Michelle McCaskill, spokesperson for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, later verified the plea deal but withheld specific details. “Pvt. King has agreed to plead guilty; however, further details are not available as the plea is subject to acceptance by the military judge,” McCaskill said.

The original charges reflected concerns about King’s behavior prior to his crossing of the Demilitarized Zone between South Korea and North Korea on July 18, 2023. At the time, King, aged 23, had spent 48 days in South Korean custody on charges including assault and property damage.

King’s mother, Claudine Gates, has previously suggested that her son’s mental health may have been affected by his deployment, potentially contributing to his actions. “A mother knows her son, and I believe something happened to mine while he was deployed,” she remarked in October.

On the day King was scheduled to return to the U.S., he departed from a tour of the Panmunjom border village and crossed into North Korea instead. He was detained by North Korea until September. After his return, King underwent reintegration at Joint Base San Antonio before being held at Fort Bliss, Texas, pending trial.

McCaskill indicated that King will remain in confinement until the military judge reviews and accepts his plea deal. If the judge does not accept the plea, King’s case could proceed to a contested court-martial. If accepted, he will likely face sentencing in accordance with the plea agreement, McCaskill added.

Upon his return, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan publicly thanked North Korea and China for their roles in facilitating King’s transit. “We thank the government of Sweden for its diplomatic role as the protecting power for the United States in North Korea and the People’s Republic of China for its assistance in facilitating Private King’s return,” Sullivan stated in late September.

As part of the plea deal, charges such as soliciting child pornography, possession of child pornography, disobeying orders, and leaving his South Korean base after curfew will be dropped. “U.S. Army Private Travis King will take responsibility for his conduct and enter a guilty plea,” Rosenblatt said in a statement.

King, from Racine, Wisconsin, is scheduled to enter his plea and face sentencing before a military court at Fort Bliss on September 20.