US soldier who fled to North Korea to admit desertion as part of plea deal

Travis King, who was repatriated after crossing border in 2023, will admit four other charges, with nine more dropped

A US army private who fled to North Korea just over a year ago will plead guilty to desertion and four other charges and take responsibility for his conduct, his lawyer said on Monday.

Travis King's attorney, Franklin D Rosenblatt, told the Associated Press that King intends to admit guilt to a total of five military offenses, including desertion and assaulting an officer. Nine other offenses, including possession of sexual images of a child, will be withdrawn and dismissed under the terms of the deal.