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Former US soldier Travis King, who sparked international controversy with his ill-fated journey from South to North Korea, has received a 12-month prison term and been administratively discharged from service with a dishonorable designation.
US Army Private Travis King, 24, initially faced serious charges, including desertion and assault on a non-commissioned officer, but was ultimately released from custody.
King’s legal team attributed his freedom to time already served and commendable behaviorAt Friday’s hearing at Fort Bliss, Texas, King accepted responsibility for five of the initial 14 military charges, leading to the dismissal of the remaining counts.
King’s military journey started in January 2021, and by 2022, he was in South Korea as part of a standard unit deployment. It was during this time that he infamously crossed the border into North KoreaKing confessed to Lt. Col. Rick Mathew that his disillusionment with military life led him to abandon his post.
He had been harboring thoughts of leaving the US Army for approximately 12 months before crossing the border into North Korea.
“I wanted to desert from the US Army and never come back,” King said, according to reporters inside the courtroom.
He also said he had been diagnosed with mental health conditions, though he maintained he was fit to stand trial and understood the charges.
King’s lawyer, Franklin Rosenblatt, said in a statement that his client accepts full responsibility for what happened and added that King “faced significant challenges in his life, including a difficult upbringing, exposure to criminal environments, and struggles with mental health”.
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“All these factors have compounded the hardships he faced in the military,” Mr Rosenblatt said.
Travis King made a daring and unauthorized crossing into North Korea while participating in a guided tour of Panmunjom, a village situated along the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea King participated in a civilian tour after being freed from a South Korean prison, where he had served a roughly two-month sentence for allegedly assaulting two people and vandalizing a police car.
Following his release from custody, Travis King was escorted to the airport to board a flight to Fort Bliss, where he was expected to face administrative action.
However, in a surprising turn of events, King opted to abandon his travel plans and join a civilian tour group, which ultimately led him to cross into North Korea, resulting in his detention by local authorities
