The U.S. Army soldier who was temporarily detained by North Korea last year after crossing the Demilitarized Zone was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty Friday to desertion and four other charges, including assaulting an officer.
The judge at the military tribunal at Fort Bliss, Texas, reportedly told Travis King that without the plea, he could serve up to 20 years in prison after admitting guilt.
King was released Friday, taking into account the 338 days he had already spent in jail awaiting trial and for good behavior.
He was also discharged for disgrace from the US military.
“With time already served and credit for good behavior, Travis [is] “He is now free and can go home,” his attorney, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, told Fox News.
Nine other misdemeanor charges King faced, including possession of sexual images of a child, were dropped and dismissed under a plea deal he reached, according to The Associated Press.
King crossed the heavily fortified border into South Korea in July 2023 and became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years.
His arrival in North Korea came shortly after his release from a South Korean prison where he had served nearly two months for assault.
About a week after his release from prison, military officers took him to the airport so he could return to Fort Bliss to face disciplinary action.
He was escorted through customs, but instead of boarding the plane, he joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom.
He then ran across the border, lined with guards and often crowded with tourists.
King was eventually arrested by North Korea, but after about two months, Pyongyang suddenly announced it would deport him.
On September 28, he was flown back to Texas and is being held there.
The king spent a total of 71 days in detention in North Korea.
Lawrence Richard of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
