Travis King, a U.S. soldier who ran across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea last year, was sentenced to a prison term that amounts to the time he has already served. He pleaded guilty to five charges, including desertion and assault, and was sentenced by a military judge to 12 months in prison. King has already served 338 days, including 63 days in North Korea. He was also dishonorably discharged from the Army, despite seeking a “bad conduct discharge.” King’s defense attorneys argued that he had trouble adjusting to Army life and experienced racism in his unit. He was being sent back to the U.S. from South Korea when he crossed the DMZ. The incident occurred fifty years after another U.S. soldier, James Dresnok, defected to North Korea in 1962. Dresnok remained in North Korea until his death in 2016. The outcome of King’s court-martial was seen as fair and just, aimed at promoting good order and discipline in the U.S. Army. King is now free and will return home, according to his attorney.
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