| Submit your comments on this article |
| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Accused Army Deserter Leaves for Reunion |
| 2004-07-09 |
| PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - An American accused of deserting his Army unit 40 years ago to defect to North Korea left Pyongyang on Friday with his two daughters to be reunited with his Japanese wife in Indonesia. Charles Jenkins, wearing a dark gray suit and sunglasses, boarded the plane sent for him by the Japanese government to meet his wife, Hitomi Soga, in Jakarta later in the day. North Korean TV footage broadcast in Japan showed Jenkins and his daughters before the flight wearing North Korean flag pins. He smoked a Marlboro cigarette - a luxury item in the impoverished state. The broadcast, however, broke off as the plane was moving slowly down the runway. Japan’s Kyodo News service reported that the plane took off moments later. Soga was abducted by spies and taken to the North in 1978 and then repatriated to Japan nearly two years ago. She had to return home alone because Jenkins, who allegedly deserted his Army unit in 1965, would face extradition to the United States and a court martial if he were to join her in Japan. Soga spent nearly a quarter-century in North Korea before leader Kim Jong Il agreed in an unprecedented summit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi two years ago to allow her and four other kidnap victims to return home. Her plight has captured the hearts of Japan. Jenkins, 64, and his daughters - Belinda, 18, and Mika, 21, both college students in Pyongyang - were shown live on Japanese television completing the paperwork prior to their flight out of the North. His daughters, wearing white blouses and navy blue skirts, appeared elated to be leaving to see their mother. The reunion was arranged in Jakarta by Japanese and North Korean officials because Indonesia has no extradition treaty with Washington. Soga arrived on a commercial flight at Jakarta’s international airport on Thursday, and a police escort accompanied her to a hotel. Before boarding her flight in Japan, she said she was happy beyond words. It was unclear what would happen next for the family. Soga has said she will try to persuade her husband to join her in Japan, but he is reportedly still afraid of facing legal action by the United States and wants to return to North Korea. Akitaka Saiki, heading a delegation of Japanese officials escorting Jenkins and the daughters, reassured North Korean officials at the airport that the family will be treated well, and would have a "relaxed" family reunion. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #5 "the guy will get an interesting book or two out of it if he comes back and spills his guts." -if he comes back, I have some ex-vet buddies who might just spill his guts....f*cking traitor. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-07-09 5:12:06 PM |
| #4 "I Was Kim Jong Il's Caddy" by Charles Jenkins. Available soon on Amazon.com. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-07-09 5:03:51 PM |
| #3 I'm not sure how hellish this guy's life has been. My guess is that he got fairly preferential treatment there - a source of information, language skills etc. I've heard that he acted in several propaganda films as well. Hellish or not, it must've been pretty surreal life and I think the guy will get an interesting book or two out of it if he comes back and spills his guts. |
| Posted by: Prince Abdullah 2004-07-09 10:53:52 AM |
| #2 what punishment other than hanging could we give him that would be worse than having to live in North Korea? Deport him to France? |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-07-09 9:10:57 AM |
| #1 Desertion in 65? Sounds like he wanted to dodge out on Vietnam. Then again, what punishment other than hanging could we give him that would be worse than having to live in North Korea? |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-07-09 2:08:13 AM |