He was already a criminal (assault conviction) before he defected into North Korea.
How does this happen?
"On July 17, he was escorted by U.S. military officials to South Korea's Incheon International Airport as far as the customs checkpoint. But instead of boarding the plane, he left the airport for a tour of the DMZ.”
I'm getting the aroma of Bergdahl and Chelsea Manning:
"Later Wednesday, Army spokesman Bryce Dubee said in a statement that King could face future action from the Army but for now the focus is on his "well-being and privacy.”
PS:
Got to say, this guy is extremely lucky to still be alive.