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WTF? American Who Crossed Into North Korea May Have Defected

That latest American who crossed into North Korea looks more likely to be a Spartacist than Spartacus:

South Korea’s Dong-a Ilbo newspaper said the man crossed into North Korea from China on Monday.

It said an unidentified source in North Korea told the newspaper the 28-year-old man said he came to the country because he did not “want to become a cannon fodder in the capitalist military,” and “wants to serve in the North Korean military” instead. [Washington Post, via AP]

On the one hand, he’s probably no greater loss to American society than Charles Robert Jenkins. On the other hand, he may soon wish he’d read talked to Jenkins (“[T]he stupidest decision of my life“) before he decided to make himself James Dresnok‘s bitch.

I’m unaware of any other reports of Americans defecting to North Korea since the 1960’s, although there have been a few reports of South Koreans defecting to the North since the Great Famine. Why, it was only last October that a South Korean man, who was under investigation for assaulting his employer, defected to the North and was placed “under the warm care of a relevant organ.” I recall reading a few other sporadic reports of reverse defections as well.

Friendly reminder: all of this reporting is sourced to one of the Donga Ilbo’s anonymous sources. It could be disinformation or just groundless gossip.

Hat tip: Kushibo.

15 Responses

  1. i’m a conspirator.

    they’re full of shit. they probably beat the ‘f’ out of him so bad, they CAN’T return him.

  3. US soldiers who crossed into North Korea could be called defectors since their choice was in violation of US military regulations, but if this American is a civilian, can he really be called a defector? The US does not apprehend, prosecute, imprison, beat, or execute American civilians who attempt to leave the US or enter any other country; hence, an American civilian who enters North Korea is not a defector. If he lacks an appropriate visa, then he is an illegal immigrant, or undocumented North Korean. 正名, the rectification of names.

  4. PFC Joseph White crossed the line by choice and died over there….it is a pity that we don’t know his true thoughts. I always found it fascinating that none of the other defectors met him (at least to my knowledge).

  6. Unlike American civilians who go to North Korea or elsewhere, Hwang Jang Yop fled under the threat of severe punishment. What defines a defector is not military versus civilian but the freedom to leave. US military personnel are not free to go to North Korea. That is why soldiers like White, Jenkins, Dresnok, and others are defectors.

  7. I see the distinction you’re making. I suppose I’m defining “defector” as someone who flees his country surreptitiously for political reasons, or at least invoking a political justification. Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines it:

    1 : to forsake one cause, party, or nation for another often because of a change in ideology
    2 : to leave one situation (as a job) often to go over to a rival

  8. Joeseph T. White Defected on August 28th 1982, its a very fascinating story. He died in a “drowning accident” on Novemebr 5th 1985. Here is the wiki link and I had another that was more detailed, I will see if I can find it. Having served in the Army in the 80s I could never figure this guy out, its not like he was drafted, Not that that excuses the rash of defecting clowns in the 60s.

  10. I dunno. If communism marxism socialism is so popular in the US these days, there may be some die hard leftists (like some of the current administration’s czars) who want to see how its really done.

    OK, this is bald propaganda from the KWP and we all know it. What is actually going on here in all likelihood is that the Juche godmakers are already feeling the effects of Robert Park’s prophetic confrontation of the Kims and are trying to change the narrative about Americans coming in to the DPRK. Too late. What the Pax Koreana (Park’s activist group) have done with their Wednesday balloon launch will create a moral firestorm in the DPRK that the Juche apparatchiks will never be able to put out.

  11. Why is defector the only term here used? If it’s a friendly gone enemy then the person is a traitor. Status is in the eye of the beholder… Defector, good; traitor, bad…

  14. Since there are some people in the U.S. that are a least sympathic to communism/socialism, I am not surprise that someone would defect. If it is true, the North Koreans can have him/her as far as I am concerned

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