Military personnel who absconded to North Korea is anticipated to admit guilt to desertion and physical assault during a court-martial trial.
"Army Private Travis King will admit to his actions and submit a guilty plea. He's been indicted by the Army under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for fourteen offenses, as announced by his lawyer, Frank Rosenblatt, on Monday. King will confess to five charges, notably desertion.
Besides desertion, King will also admit to disobedience towards an officer and assaulting a non-commissioned officer, according to Rosenblatt.
However, King plans to plead not guilty to other accusations, such as possession of child pornography, which Rosenblatt anticipates the Army will drop.
King's court martial hearing, where he'll confess, explain his actions, and receive his punishment, is set for September 20 at Fort Bliss, Texas, as per Rosenblatt.
"Travis appreciates the support he's received from his friends and family, and to those outside his circle who didn't prejudge his case based on the initial allegations," Rosenblatt stated.
Previously, CNN reported that King's legal team was engaged in plea bargaining with military prosecutors.
King faced fourteen charges consisting of eight total counts under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including desertion, possessing child pornography, assaulting a non-commissioned officer, and disobedience towards a superior officer. His case was handed over to the Army's Office of Special Trial Counsel in July, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the office, Michelle McCaskill, to CNN earlier.
CNN previously reported that King's legal team was in plea negotiations with military prosecutors.
McCaskill confirmed that the Office of Special Trial Counsel and King's defense team had reached a plea agreement and that King would remain in pre-trial detention.
"If Pvt. King's guilty plea is accepted, the judge will sentence King in accordance with the terms of the plea agreement," McCaskill said. "If the judge does not accept the guilty plea, the judge can rule that the case be tried in a contested court-martial."
Previously, military officials stated that King, a cavalry scout, "intentionally and without authorization" crossed into North Korea in July 2023 — approximately a week after his release from a detention facility in South Korea, where he had been held following an October 2022 incident where he allegedly pushed and punched a victim at a club in Seoul.
On the day he entered North Korea, he was escorted to the airport by the Army but left the security checkpoint instead of boarding his flight. The following day, he joined a tour of the Joint Security Area in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
A US official previously revealed that King crossed the demarcation line and initially attempted to enter a facility on the North Korean side, but the door was locked. He then ran to the building's rear and was taken away in a van.
At the time, North Korea declared that King "confessed to illegally entering North Korean territory out of resentment towards inhumane treatment and racial discrimination within the US Army and his disappointment with the unequal US society." CNN could not verify if these were King's actual words."
In light of these events, questions about the political implications of King's case have arisen, particularly regarding military discipline and officer-troop relations. Despite the controversial nature of the charges, the plea agreement ensures a speedier resolution to the case.
