Travis King will plead guilty to five of the 14 felony charges, including desertion and assault. The child pornography charge will be dropped by the Army.
American soldier Travis King is in North Korean custody
US soldier Travis King, who fled to North Korea, is back in US custody, according to an official.
Cody Godwin and Anastasiia Riddle, USA TODAY
Travis King, a U.S. soldier from Racine who crossed the border into North Korea last year, triggering weeks of diplomatic efforts to return him to the U.S., will plead guilty to five counts, including desertion, his lawyer said on Monday.
King, 24, was charged in October with 14 felony counts under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including desertion, assault on officers and solicitation of child pornography. Almost immediately, his attorney, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, said King would be vigorously defended.
Rosenblatt said in a statement On Monday, King said he would plead guilty to five of those charges, including desertion, three counts of insubordination to an officer and assault on a noncommissioned officer. He will plead not guilty to the remaining charges, which the Army will withdraw and drop.
“King will accept responsibility for his conduct and plead guilty,” Rosenblatt said. “Travis is grateful to his friends and family who supported him and to everyone outside his circle who did not prejudge his case based on the original allegations.”
A hearing is scheduled for September 20 in Texas, where King will have to explain his actions and answer questions from a military judge.
King joined the Army in January 2021. He was arrested in South Korea on assault charges, to which he pleaded guilty. King would have faced disciplinary action in the United States upon his release from South Korean custody.
He was on his way home when he left Seoul International Airport for a civilian tour of the border area between North and South Korea. King then fled to North Korea. He was immediately taken into North Korean custody before being released last September.
His release followed weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations that resulted in the Swedish government picking King up from North Korea and taking him across the border to China to hand him over to the U.S. ambassador.
King graduated from Park High School in Racine in 2020 and his family lives in the area.
Reuters contributed to this report.
