U.S. Soldier who fled to North Korea set to plead guilty at Fort Bliss court hearing

FORT BLISS, TX (KVIA) -- U.S. Army Private Travis King, the soldier who crossed into North Korea last year, is expected to plead guilty to multiple charges at a court-martial hearing at Fort Bliss today, according to his attorney.

King is facing 14 charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including desertion, assault, and disobeying a lawful order. He is expected to plead guilty to five of the charges, including desertion, in exchange for a plea deal. 

“The remaining charges will be withdrawn and dismissed by the Army," his attorney Franklin Rosenblatt said in a statement issued to ABC News. Those charges include possession of child pornography.

Today’s hearing comes after King ran across the border from South Korea into North Korea, when the was supposed to return back to Fort Bliss in July 2023. King was previously stationed in South Korea, and just days before his escape, he was released from a South Korean detention facility, where he had been held for nearly two months following an assault charge. At the airport, King ditched his escorts, joined a tour group at the Korean Demilitarized Zone and ran across the border. 

The military judge will decide whether to accept his plea deal or take the case to contested court martial. 

If the judge accepts King’s guilty plea, he will be sentenced. King is set to appear in a Fort Bliss courtroom at 9:45 a.m. 

Stay with ABC-7 for the latest on today's hearing.