US soldier who fled to North Korea sentenced

US Army Private Travis King, who last year ran into North Korea and was taken into custody there, has been sentenced to one year of confinement then freed based on time already served, his lawyer has said.

King pleaded guilty to five charges, and the sentencing was held at Fort Bliss in Texas.

The US Army charged King with crimes including desertion for running into North Korea in July 2023, assault against fellow soldiers and solicitation of child pornography, Reuters reported late last year.

He was charged by the Army with 14 offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, after his release from North Korean custody in September 2023 following behind-the-scenes negotiations.

The US government moved to dismiss nine offenses after he pleaded guilty to five charges.

King joined the Army in January 2021. He was detained in South Korea over assault allegations to which he pleaded guilty.

He had already been due to face disciplinary action in the US after his release from South Korean detention.

However while on his way home last year he slipped away from Seoul's international airport and made his way to a civilian tour of the border area between North and South Korea.

He then sprinted across the border into North Korea, where he was immediately taken into North Korean custody.