Travis King made headlines across the world on Tuesday as he sprinted across the border into North Korea during a tour of Panmunjom.

But King, a private second class in the U.S. military, is far from the first American soldier to voluntarily cross over into North Korea. There have already been five or potentially six U.S. military defections, the most famous of those being James Joseph Dresnok and Charles Robert Jenkins. 

While details about King are still emerging, there are several parallels — and important differences — that suggest what could be in store for the young American in