Charles Jenkins, American soldier who defected to North Korea, dies at 77

WaPo ^ | December 11 2017 | Anna Fifield

[Gamecock]

TOKYO — Charles Jenkins, the U.S. Army sergeant who defected to North Korea in 1965 and remained there for almost four decades, has died in Japan at the age of 77.

Jenkins had been living on Sado Island, off Japan’s west coast, with his wife Hitomi Soga, a Japanese citizen who was abducted by North Korea in 1978, since he was freed in 2004.

Since their return, Jenkins had lived a quiet life on Sado Island, not far from where his wife was taken by North Koreans, working in the gift shop at the local museum and becoming some kind of a celebrity. Their 34-year-old daughter Mika lives at home and teaches at a nearby kindergarten, while 32-year-old Brinda lives on the closest mainland city, Niigata.

One night in 1965, when he was 24 and serving in the U.S. Army in South Korea, Jenkins drank 10 beers and stumbled across the world’s most heavily militarized border and into North Korea.

“I was so ignorant,” he told The Washington Post in an interview in 2008. He had deserted the Army for what became a self-imposed life sentence in a “giant, demented prison.”

[Gamecock]

Jenkins drank 10 beers and stumbled across the world’s most heavily militarized border and into North Korea.

Hold my beer!
(You just knew alcohol had to be involved.)

[arthurus]

Maybe he didn’t “defect” but rather just got drunk. Sometimes our actions are not terribly rational or coherent when we have a load of whiskey on or beer.

[Fai Mao]

That’s actually a sad story in some ways.

Better than the unrepentant communist Sydney Shapiro who lived in Beijing. Syd was an amicable guy but just had no clue. He really thought the cultural revolution was a good thing.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

“He had deserted the Army for what became a self-imposed life sentence in a “giant, demented prison.”

Or what the left calls “Utopia”.

[DIRTYSECRET]

At least he did’t milk the Army for a sex change. Mother is in her 50’s. Daughters could be try-lingual. They could help us.

[Red Badger]

... Jenkins drank 10 beers and stumbled across the world’s most heavily militarized border and into North Korea.

Which is loaded with land mines..... God really does protect drunks.......................

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
FReepers, it's far beyond time to wrap up this FReep-a-thon.  Lets do it today.  Please chip in.

President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.

Ramirez political cartoon:  the Roy Moore Compass LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).
Garrison political cartoon:  Moore or Less LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK (scroll down) to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).

Please join the monthlies, an automated and the best way to help support Free Republic.  If you opt not to join the automated monthly support program, please consider joining the One One Done project.  LINK

Click above and pencil in your donation now.Please folks, lets end this FReepathon.  Thank you!
...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

[Ciexyz]

Sad life for the Japanese woman they abducted to give him a bride.

[meatloaf]

Sounds like a BS excuse to me. I’d like to know about his life as a soldier.

[PGR88]

Sad life for the Japanese woman they abducted to give him a bride.

Their story could be the makings of a great movie.

[trebb]

Wow - long-lived for a defector to the NORKs - PFC White defected in 1982 and when I was there in 1895-1986, we got word his body had been found in the river from “a swimming accident” where they would have needed heavy equipment t break through the ice.....

[fieldmarshaldj]

Prayers for a deeply misguided soul.

[husky ed]

Him and Bowe. Eat Shite.

Ed

[Rebelbase]

” I was there in 1895-1986”

That’s one hell of a tour!

[trebb]

Yeah - my old age dyslexia got me - 1985-1986 sound better?