American soldier who crossed into North Korea is sentenced to time already served

U.S. soldier Travis King, who ran across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea, has been sentenced to time served for desertion, assault on a non-commissioned officer, and disobeying lawful orders. King pleaded guilty to five charges and was sentenced to one year for desertion and additional time for other charges. He has already served 338 days and will be dishonorably discharged. His defense attorneys argued for a bad conduct discharge. King had been on a tour group in South Korea when he crossed the zone and was detained by North Korea. He was returned to the U.S. following a diplomatic effort. King was encouraged to enlist by a recruiter but had trouble adjusting in his unit, experiencing racism. The incident occurred decades after another U.S. soldier defected to North Korea and died in the country in 2016.

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