Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea last year, has been sentenced to a prison term that equals the time he has already served. King pleaded guilty to charges including desertion and assault on a non-commissioned officer. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison for desertion and one month for each of the other charges. In addition to prison time, he was dishonorably discharged from the Army. Defense attorneys sought a bad conduct discharge instead. King had spent 63 days in North Korea before being returned to the U.S. in September. He had crossed the DMZ in July while on a tour group in South Korea. King’s attorneys argued that he was encouraged to enlist by a recruiter and faced racism in his unit. The incident echoes another U.S. soldier, James Dresnok, who defected to North Korea in 1962 and lived there until his death in 2016. King’s sentence, as noted by the prosecution, reflects the seriousness of his offenses and aims to promote good order and discipline within the Army. Now freed, King will return home after serving his time.
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American soldier who crossed into North Korea receives time served sentence
