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.

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[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' status was unavailable outside North Korea for many years. Jenkins says he almost immediately regretted his defection, and spent the next 40 years paying for it. 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. They were forced to memorize large passages of Kim's in Korean, and beaten frequently. 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. His very thick North Carolina accent interfered with the government's goal of teaching spies English so that they could pass as South Korean, and when the North Korean's realized this, he was fired from that job.

In 1980, Jenkins was introduced to Hitomi Soga, a 21-year-old Japanese nurse who had been abducted by North Korean agents in 1978, along with her mother, during a search for Japanese citizens who could train future spies in Japanese language and culture. Soga's mother was never heard from again, and Soga was "given to" Jenkins. The North Koreans had paired a number of Asians with people of European descent, with the assumption that North Korean spies could pass more effectively as South Korean if they were of Eurasian heritage, which is not uncommon in South Korea, but almost unheard of in North Korea. Soga and Jenkins fell in love, and thirty-eight days after meeting, they 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.
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. In an effort at detente, surviving abductees were allowed to travel to Japan, including Jenkins' wife. The visit was intended to last for a week, but the Japanese government would not let the abductees return to North Korea, with the argument that they were being coerced to return because the North Koreans were holding their loved ones as hostages. Negotiations resulted in the families of the abductees being released and sent to Japan, but Jenkins stayed behind for fear that he would be arrested, extradited, and subject to court martial for desertion, which could potentially result in the death penalty. 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 pled 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, returning later in the month.

There were three other American deserters to North Korea as well: James Joseph 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 2007, Dresnok is happily living in North Korea; he does not seem to regret his defection. "An American in North Korea," 60 Minutes, CBS Television. Produced by Robert G. Anderson and Casey Morgan. Reported by Bob Simon. First Broadcast on January 28, 2007.</ref>[1]. According to North Korean official reports, Abshier and Parrish have since died of natural causes while living in that country.[2]

[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] References

  1. ^ An American in North Korea, Pledging Allegiance to the Great Leader; New York Times; October 19, 2006
  2. ^ "An American in North Korea," 60 Minutes, CBS Television. Produced by Robert G. Anderson and Casey Morgan. Reported by Bob Simon. First Broadcast on January 28, 2007.
  • 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.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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