A U.S. Army soldier who was briefly detained by North Korea after crossing the DMZ last year pleaded guilty Friday to four other charges, including desertion and assaulting an officer, and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
A military court judge at Fort Bliss, Texas, reportedly told Travis King he could face up to 20 years in prison if he does not plead guilty.
King was declared free on Friday based on the 338 days he has already served while awaiting trial and for good behavior.
He also received a dishonorable discharge from the United States Army.
“Travis has already served his sentence and done good deeds. [is] “He is now free and will be going home,” his lawyer, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, told Fox News.
Nine other charges against King, including possession of sexual images of children, were dropped or dismissed under the terms of a plea agreement he agreed to, according to the Associated Press.
King fled South Korea across the heavily guarded border in July 2023, becoming the first American to be detained in North Korea in nearly five years.
He fled to North Korea shortly after being released from a South Korean prison where he had served about two months for assault.
About a week after his release from prison, military officers took him to the airport and had him return to Fort Bliss to face disciplinary charges.
He was escorted through customs, but instead of boarding a plane he was taken on a private tour of the South Korean border village of Panmunjom.
He then ran across the border, which is lined with guards and often crowded with tourists.
King was eventually detained in North Korea, but about two months later Pyongyang suddenly announced his expulsion.
On September 28, he was flown back to Texas, where he remains in custody.
King spent a total of 71 days in North Korean custody.
Fox News' Lawrence Richard and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
