US Army Private Travis King ran into North Korea last year and was briefly detained. In a statement released by his lawyer on Monday (August 26), King admitted to five charges and took responsibility for his actions.
According to a report at the end of last year by Reuters, the US Army had brought multiple charges against King, including unauthorized absence last July, assault against a comrade, and possession of child pornography, among others.
On Monday, King’s lawyer stated, “He will plead guilty to five charges, including going AWOL, three charges of disobedience to superiors, and assaulting an officer.” He denies the remaining charges, which will be dismissed by the military.
King enlisted in January 2021. The series of charges against him trace back to July 10th last year, the day he was released from prison in South Korea. He had been detained in South Korea for two months on charges of assaulting someone and had already pleaded guilty.
About a week after his release, military personnel escorted him to the airport to send him back to Fort Bliss, Texas, for disciplinary review. He was taken to customs but did not board the plane. Instead, he joined a civilian tour group heading to the demilitarized zone in the Korean border village of Panmunjom. He then crossed into North Korea amid a crowd of tourists.
After being detained by North Korea for approximately two months, he was released. On September 28, he flew back to Texas and has been held there ever since.
Following his release from North Korea, the Army filed 14 charges against him under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
King will have the opportunity to explain his actions at a hearing scheduled for September 20 at Fort Bliss, Texas. His lawyer, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, told the Associated Press, “He wants to take responsibility for his actions.”
Rosenblatt declined to comment on the potential sentence his client may face. Going AWOL is a serious charge that could result in imprisonment.