Soldier who crossed into North Korea from U.S. sentenced to time served

U.S. soldier Travis King, who ran across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea last year, was sentenced to a prison term that matches the time he has already served. King pleaded guilty to desertion, assault, and disobeying orders, and was sentenced to 12 months for desertion and one month each for the other charges. He was dishonorably discharged and wanted a “bad conduct discharge” instead. King spent 63 days in North Korea in addition to his time in the U.S. After completing a diplomatic effort, he was returned to the U.S. in September. King had been in the Army since January 2021 and was returning from South Korea when he crossed the DMZ. His defense attorneys argued that he was encouraged to enlist and faced racism in his unit. The incident occurred 50 years after another U.S. soldier, James Dresnok, defected to North Korea in 1962. Dresnok died in North Korea in 2016. King’s sentence was considered fair and just by the Army, serving as a deterrent for similar offenses in the future. After his release, King will be returning home.

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