Charles Robert Jenkins

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

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. While patrolling the Korean 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. Shortly thereafter North Korean propaganda declared that a U.S. sergeant had defected and broadcasted 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.

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.

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. On assurances of protection from the Japanese government, he travelled 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.

Jenkins, his wife and two daughters traveled to the United States, arriving on June 14, 2005, to visit his 91 year old mother in North Carolina, USA. They plan to return on June 22.

Souces

• 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.

External links

• FEER interview with Jenkins, September 1, 2004 (http://www.feer.com/articles/2004/0409_09/free/exclusive1.html)
• In Support of Charles Robert Jenkins (http://www.charlesrobertjenkins.org/) (relatives' site)
• Asia Times - The strange saga of Charles Robert Jenkins (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/FF05Dh05.html)
• BBC News - North Korea's mystery guest (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3753967.stm)ja:チャールズ・ジェンキンス