Travis King: US soldier sentenced for desertion after fleeing to North Korea

Travis King, a former US soldier who defected to North Korea over 40 years ago, has been sentenced for desertion by a US military court. King, now 72 years old, was found guilty of abandoning his post in South Korea in 1979 and crossing the border into North Korea, where he has lived ever since.

The sentencing comes after King’s dramatic return to the United States in 2019, when he appeared at the US embassy in Beijing and expressed a desire to come home. He was subsequently extradited to the US to face charges of desertion.

During his trial, King claimed that he had defected to North Korea out of a misguided belief that it was a paradise and that he would be welcomed with open arms. However, he soon realized the harsh reality of life under the oppressive regime of Kim Jong Un.

Despite his remorse, the military court handed down a sentence of 30 days in jail and a dishonorable discharge. King’s case has sparked debate about the treatment of deserters and defectors, with some arguing that he should be shown leniency due to his age and the circumstances of his defection.

King’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of desertion and the dangers of seeking refuge in a totalitarian regime. As he begins his sentence, he will have to come to terms with the choices he made over four decades ago and the impact they have had on his life.