Travis King, the U.S. Army private who defected from South Korea to North Korea last year, is expected to plead guilty to multiple criminal charges, including escape, his lawyer said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
King’s lawyer, Frank Rosenblatt, said the U.S. military has charged King with 14 offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Rosenblatt said King plans to plead guilty to five of those charges and not guilty to the remaining charges, but the Army plans to dismiss the remaining charges.
In this photo taken in Seoul on Aug. 16, 2023, a man walks in front of a television showing a news program featuring a photo of U.S. soldier Travis King (center), who fled across the border into North Korea on July 18 while taking part in a group tour visiting the demilitarized zone on the border with South Korea. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)
King is expected to enter a guilty plea at court-martial, where he will explain his actions to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Rick Mathews, a military judge.
The guilty plea and sentence will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 20, 2024, at Fort Bliss, Texas.
“Travis is grateful to his friends and family for their support and to all those around him who did not prejudge his case based on initial suspicions,” Rosenblatt said.
Severe storm hits McConnell Air Force Base, injuring US soldiers, forcing air show cancellation
North Korea had detained King since he was reported to have escaped from a tourist group into the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea on July 18, but released him in September last year.
There was no contact with King during his detention, and North Korean authorities have been deliberately insensitive to U.S. inquiries.
The incident occurred after King had served two months in a South Korean detention center following a violent encounter with local residents, a former senior defense official told Fox News, and throughout his time in prison he had said he did not want to return to the United States.
King was eventually released on July 10 and returned to Fort Bliss on Monday, where he faces further military disciplinary charges and possible discharge. King faces at least two assault-related charges in South Korea.
North Korean state media reported that King confessed to coming to North Korea because of “inhumane abuse and racism within the U.S. military.”
King’s mother disputed the reports from North Korea, saying her son had no motive to defect to the totalitarian state.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. military for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
