US Soldier to Plead Guilty to Desertion for Bolting Into North Korea

  • The Army private was held in North Korea for about two months
  • King will enter plea at a general court martial, lawyer says

A TV screen shows a file image of American soldier Travis King during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul

Photographer: Ahn Young-joon/AP Photos

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A US Army private who bolted across the border into North Korea will plead guilty at a military court to charges including desertion and disobeying an officer, his lawyer said in a statement.

Travis King will enter the plea at a general court martial, with a sentencing hearing set for Sept. 20, lawyer Franklin Rosenblatt said in a statement posted to social media. King, who is facing 14 offenses, will plead guilty to five of them, taking “responsibility for his conduct,” the lawyer said in the statement Monday.