Charles Robert Jenkins

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Charles Robert Jenkins (born February 18, 1940) is a former United States Army soldier who lived in North Korea from 1965 to 2004 after deserting his unit and crossing the DMZ.

1 Military service and desertion
2 Life in North Korea
3 Confirmation and return
4 Memoirs
5 Sources
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Military service and desertion

Jenkins was born in Rich Square, North Carolina. He joined the National Guard in 1955, well below the minimum enlistment age. He joined the army in 1958 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. He served in South Korea from 1960 to 1961, in Europe to 1964, and in South Korea again.

In South Korea, Jenkins was assigned to night patrols. As a result of fears that he would be transferred to combat duty in Vietnam, he started drinking alcohol. One night, after reportedly drinking 10 beers, he set off on his nightly patrol of the Demilitarized Zone. In the early morning of January 5, 1965, he told his patrol that he was going to investigate a noise. He subsequently crossed into North Korea and surrendered to forces there, in hopes of being sent to Russia and eventually America. Shortly thereafter North Korean propaganda declared that a U.S. sergeant had defected and broadcast alleged statements by the defector, reportedly in stilted English. The U.S. Army claimed Jenkins wrote four letters stating his intention to defect, the original copies of which were lost. His relatives maintained throughout his absence that he was abducted.

[edit] Life in North Korea

Information about Jenkins's status was unavailable outside North Korea for many years. He says that he and three other U.S. servicemen were quarantined in a one-room house with no running water until 1972, where they were made to study the Juche philosophy of Kim Il-sung. He says that at one point in 1966, he found his way to the Soviet embassy in Pyongyang and requested asylum, which was denied. Eventually, Jenkins was placed in separate housing and began teaching English at the Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies.

In 1980, Jenkins was introduced to Hitomi Soga, a 21-year old nurse who had been abducted by North Korean agents in 1978 during a search for Japanese schoolteachers who could train future spies. Since the North Korean government had no use for a Japanese nurse, Soga was placed under Jenkins's watch. Thirty-eight days later, Jenkins and Soga were married. They had two daughters, Roberta Mika Jenkins (born 1983) and Brinda Carol Jenkins (born 1985, often called "Belinda" in English media). In 1982 Jenkins appeared in the propaganda film Nameless Heroes, which provided the first evidence that he was alive. The U.S. government did not publicly reveal this information until 1996.

Jenkins saluted the Provost Marshal, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Nigeara, when he arrived at Camp Zama. Nigeara returned the salute. Associated Press photo.

[edit] Confirmation and return

Jenkins drew international interest again in 2002, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-il confirmed that North Korea had abducted Japanese citizens. The surviving abductees were allowed to travel to Japan, but Jenkins stayed behind. After assurances of protection from the Japanese government, he traveled with his daughters to Japan by way of Indonesia for medical treatment, arriving in Japan on July 18, 2004. Japan formally requested a pardon for Jenkins, which the U.S. declined to grant. After expressing a desire to put his conscience at rest, Jenkins reported on September 11 to Camp Zama in Japan. He reported in respectful military form, saluting the receiving military police officer.

On November 3 Jenkins pleaded guilty to charges of desertion and aiding the enemy, but denied making disloyal or seditious statements—the latter charges were dropped. He was sentenced to 30 days' confinement and received a dishonorable discharge, being released six days early, on November 27, 2004, for good behavior.

Jenkins and his family settled on Sado Island in Japan, which is Soga's home. On June 14, 2005, Jenkins, his wife and two daughters traveled to the United States to visit his 91 year old mother in North Carolina, USA, returning later in the month.

According to a New York Times article, there apparently were other deserters as well, including James Dresnok, subject of a documentary, Crossing the Line, Private Larry Allen Abshier, and Specialist Jerry Wayne Parrish. The former two defected in 1962, while the latter defected in 1963. As of 2006, James Dresnok is happily living in North Korea; he does not seem to regret his defection, and has bashed Jenkins, denying his assertions in a book (described below).

[edit] Memoirs

Jenkins published a book in Japanese in October of 2005, titled To Tell The Truth (Japanese: 告白; Romaji: kokuhaku; ISBN 4-04-791510-6), about his experiences in North Korea. A Korean-language edition was also released in June 2006 by Mulpure Publishing.[1] As of September 2006, no English-language edition has yet been published, though Jenkins himself states that he is looking for a publisher.[2]

[edit] Sources

Eric Talmadge "Deserter Adjusting to Life on Japan Island". Associated Press. January 31, 2005.
"U.S. Army Deserter to Seek U.S. Passport". Associated Press. February 28, 2005.