Army private Travis King was accused of punching a man several times in the face at a club on September 25 last year, Seoul court records indicate.
The US soldier who ran across the border into North Korea Tuesday was facing multiple assault allegations as well as a fine for damaging a police vehicle.
Army Private 2nd Class Travis King, 23, was accused of punching a man several times in the face at a club on September 25 last year, Seoul court records indicate.
Two weeks later, on October 8, Korean authorities responded to another dust-up involving King, who was allegedly displaying “aggressive behavior,” according to the court documents.
When police put him in the backseat of the patrol car, King reportedly spouted expletives and insults aimed at Koreans, the South Korean army, and the police.
He then kicked the patrol car door several times, resulting in about 584,000 won, or $460, in damages, the ruling said.
King, who had no previous offenses, later pleaded guilty to charges of assault and destruction of public goods, and paid $790 to repair the patrol car, the court stated.
On February 8 this year, the Seoul Western District Court also fined him 5 million won, the equivalent of approximately $3,950.
King was facing disciplinary action from the US military, according to two anonymous US officials. It was not immediately clear if the censure was related to the October incident.
The solider spent time in US military detention in Pyeongtaek, South Korea following the October debacle, one of the lawyers who represented him at the time claimed
A spokesperson for the US Forces Korea (USFK), however, declined to confirm whether King had been in South Korean or US military detention.
