U.S. soldier defector fined in Seoul for kicking police vehicle

An American soldier who crossed the inter-Korean border into North Korea had been sentenced to a fine for kicking and damaging a police patrol car in Seoul, legal sources said Wednesday.

United Nations Command and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the previous day the active U.S. service member had willfully crossed the inter-Korean border into North Korea without authorization during a tour to the Joint Security Area and is believed to be in North Korea’s custody.

The Pentagon later identified the defector as Pvt. 2nd Class Travis King in his 20s, and American media organizations reported that he was in the process of being sent back to the U.S. for disciplinary action in connection with assault charges he faced in South Korea.

Legal sources here said Wednesday that King, 23, was fined 5 million won (US$3,943) on Feb. 8 by a court in Seoul on charges including inflicting damage on public property.

He was suspected of repeatedly kicking a back door of a police patrol vehicle in Seoul’s Mapo district in the wee hours on Oct. 8 and inflicting damage that required repairs worth 584,000 won.

He was apprehended by police at the scene, but did not cooperate with police officers demanding his personal information and kicked the door of the police car shouting foul language against Koreans and the Korean Army, according to police investigations.

He also faced suspicions of punching the face of a Korean national at a night club in western Seoul on Sept. 25, but he was not indicted for the incident as the victim said he did not want a punishment for the soldier.