US soldier Travis King, who fled to North Korea in July 2023 and was later returned to US custody, has been sentenced to one year of confinement over desertion.
King pleaded guilty to five charges, including desertion, assaulting a noncommissioned officer, and disobeying orders, in exchange for the dismissal of nine other charges.
US Army Mistreatment
King had originally been stationed in South Korea and was due to return to Texas for disciplinary hearings after serving jail time in South Korea for assault charges.
Instead of boarding the flight, he crossed into North Korea during a civilian tour of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), where he was detained by North Korean authorities.
North Korea initially claimed he defected due to mistreatment in the U.S. Army but later expelled him.
He reportedly told the North Korean authorities that he deserted because he was being mistreated by the US army as a black soldier.
