WASHINGTON: U.S. Army Private Travis King, who last year fled into North Korea and was taken into custody there, was sentenced on Friday to one year of imprisonment then released based on time already served, his lawyer announced.
The US personnel pleaded guilty to five charges, and the sentencing was held at Fort Bliss in Texas, Reuters reported.
The U.S. military charged him with crimes including desertion for running into N Korea in July 2023, attack against fellow troops and solicitation of child pornography, western media reported.
The government has moved to dismiss about nine offenses after the soldier pleaded guilty to five charges. Travis King joined the military in January 2021. He was arrested in South Korea over attack allegations to which he pleaded guilty.
He had already been due to face disciplinary action in the US following his release from South Korean detention. King was on his way home last year when he slipped away from airport and made his way to a civilian trip of the border area between N Korea and S Korea.
Then he sprinted across the border into N Korea. He was immediately arrested by North Korean forces.
