Army private who fled to North Korea to plead guilty to multiple charges

U.S. Army Pvt. Travis King, who crossed into North Korea last year, is set to plead guilty to five military charges, including desertion, according to his lawyer. King, who fled across the Demilitarized Zone from South Korea into North Korea in July 2023, faced 14 charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including assault and solicitation of child pornography.

King’s lawyer, Franklin Rosenblatt, confirmed that as part of a plea deal, King will admit to desertion, assault on a noncommissioned officer, and three counts of disobeying a lawful order.

“He will plead not guilty to the remaining offenses, which the Army will withdraw and dismiss,” Rosenblatt said.

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King, who joined the Army in January 2021, was previously detained in South Korea on assault charges before his unauthorized crossing into North Korea. After spending over two months in North Korean custody, King was released following negotiations involving Swedish diplomats, who facilitated his transfer to U.S. custody via China.

Upon his return to the U.S., King was held at Fort Bliss, Texas, where his plea and sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 20. If the military judge accepts the plea deal, King will likely face sentencing according to the terms agreed upon. If the plea is rejected, the case could proceed to a contested court-martial.

King’s mother, Claudine Gates, has expressed concern over her son’s mental health, suggesting that his behavior may have been influenced by his experiences during deployment.

“A mother knows her son, and I believe something happened to mine while he was deployed,” she said.

The U.S. has emphasized that no concessions were made to North Korea to secure King’s release, and his plea deal will see nine of the original charges, including child pornography offenses, dismissed.