James Joseph Dresnok
Encyclopedia
James Joseph Dresnok is an American defector to North Korea
, one of six American soldiers to defect after the Korean War
. He was featured on the CBS
magazine program 60 Minutes
on January 28, 2007, as the last United States
defector alive in North Korea and was the subject of a documentary film entitled Crossing the Line.
He calls himself Joe Dresnok and is referred to as both James Dresnok and Joe Dresnok in news reports, sometimes as both in the same report.
, Virginia. His father was Joseph Dresnok I (1917–1978). His parents divorced when he was ten years old, and he was briefly raised by his father in Pennsylvania
; his mother and younger brother Joseph Dresnok II never again came into contact with them. Dresnok was placed in a foster home, dropped out of high school, and joined the Army one day after his 17th birthday.
. After returning to the United States to find that his wife there had left him for another man, he re-enlisted and was sent to South Korea. He was a Private First Class
with a U.S. Army
unit along the Korean Demilitarized Zone
between North and South Korea
in the early 1960s. Soon after his arrival, he found himself facing a court martial for forging signatures on paperwork that gave him permission to leave base and which, ultimately, led to him being AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave). Unwilling to face punishment, on August 15, 1962, while his fellow soldiers were eating lunch, he ran across a minefield in broad daylight into North Korean territory, where he was quickly apprehended by enemy soldiers. Dresnok was taken by train to Pyongyang
, the North Korean capital, and interrogated.
in their interview. "On August 15th, at noon in broad daylight when everybody was eating lunch, I hit the road. Yes I was afraid. Am I gonna live or die? And when I stepped into the minefield and I seen it with my own eyes, I started sweating. I crossed over, looking for my new life.”
Dresnok met Larry Allen Abshier
, another American defector soon after his arrival. Eventually there were four of them: Abshier, Jerry Parrish, Charles Robert Jenkins
, and Dresnok. The men lived together and participated in several propaganda efforts on behalf of the North Korean government. They appeared on magazine covers and used loudspeakers to try to persuade more American soldiers at the border to defect. However, at first, they did not wish to remain in North Korea indefinitely. In 1966, the four men tried to leave North Korea by seeking asylum at the Soviet embassy in Pyongyang, but were immediately turned over to North Korean authorities by the embassy. Afterwards, Dresnok decided to settle in North Korea and assimilate.
Beginning in 1978, he was cast in several North Korean films, including the 20-part series Unsung Heroes
, as an American villain
, and became a celebrity in the country as a result. He is called "Arthur" by his Korean friends, as that is the name of the character he played in the series. He also translated some of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung
’s writings into English.
According to Jenkins's book, The Reluctant Communist, Dresnok was something of a bully, betraying the other Americans' confidences to the North Koreans, and enthusiastically beat up Jenkins 30 or more times upon the orders of their Korean handlers. In Crossing the Line, Dresnok vehemently denies these allegations.
n woman named Doina Bumbea (referred to as "Dona" in Jenkins's autobiography), with whom he has two sons, Ted and James. Bumbea supposedly worked at the Romanian Embassy; some accounts claim that she never worked at the embassy and was an abductee, taken by the North Korean secret service. Jenkins's book also mentions this, but also claims that she was abducted to be the wife of one of the American deserters. The website of the Romanian Foreign Office says Romania asked North Korea in 2007 to explain the abduction of Bumbea, but did not receive any answers. Bumbea died of lung cancer
.
After Bumbea's death, Dresnok married his third wife, the daughter of a North Korean woman and a Togo
lese diplomat
. They had a son in 2001. The family lives in a small apartment in Pyongyang; it was provided along with a monthly stipend by the North Korean government. Today, Dresnok is in failing health, with a bad heart and liver (Dresnok describes his liver as "full of fat"), which he attributes to smoking and drinking too much.
His eldest son from his second marriage, James Dresnok, was a student at Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies
, where his father taught English
in the 1980s. James speaks English with a Korean accent and considers himself Korean although he reportedly does not wish to marry a Korean woman. James intends to enter the diplomatic service.
Dresnok has stated that he intends to spend the rest of his life in North Korea, and that no amount of money could entice him back to the West. Currently in retirement, Dresnok occasionally gives lectures in North Korea and spends his time fishing “just to pass the time.”
.
He was also featured in An American in North Korea, a 2007 segment on 60 Minutes
by Robert G. Anderson and Casey Morgan.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, one of six American soldiers to defect after the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He was featured on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
magazine program 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
on January 28, 2007, as the last United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
defector alive in North Korea and was the subject of a documentary film entitled Crossing the Line.
He calls himself Joe Dresnok and is referred to as both James Dresnok and Joe Dresnok in news reports, sometimes as both in the same report.
Early life
Dresnok was born in RichmondRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia. His father was Joseph Dresnok I (1917–1978). His parents divorced when he was ten years old, and he was briefly raised by his father in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
; his mother and younger brother Joseph Dresnok II never again came into contact with them. Dresnok was placed in a foster home, dropped out of high school, and joined the Army one day after his 17th birthday.
Defection
Dresnok's first military service was two years in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. After returning to the United States to find that his wife there had left him for another man, he re-enlisted and was sent to South Korea. He was a Private First Class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
with a U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
unit along the Korean Demilitarized Zone
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
between North and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in the early 1960s. Soon after his arrival, he found himself facing a court martial for forging signatures on paperwork that gave him permission to leave base and which, ultimately, led to him being AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave). Unwilling to face punishment, on August 15, 1962, while his fellow soldiers were eating lunch, he ran across a minefield in broad daylight into North Korean territory, where he was quickly apprehended by enemy soldiers. Dresnok was taken by train to Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, the North Korean capital, and interrogated.
Life in North Korea
"I was fed up with my childhood, my marriage, my military life, everything. I was finished. There's only one place to go," Dresnok told 60 Minutes60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
in their interview. "On August 15th, at noon in broad daylight when everybody was eating lunch, I hit the road. Yes I was afraid. Am I gonna live or die? And when I stepped into the minefield and I seen it with my own eyes, I started sweating. I crossed over, looking for my new life.”
Dresnok met Larry Allen Abshier
Larry Allen Abshier
Private Larry Allen Abshier of the U.S. Army was one of six American soldiers to defect to North Korea after the Korean War.-Defecting:...
, another American defector soon after his arrival. Eventually there were four of them: Abshier, Jerry Parrish, Charles Robert Jenkins
Charles Robert Jenkins
Charles Robert Jenkins is a former United States Army soldier who lived in North Korea from 1965 to 2004 after deserting his unit and crossing the Korean Demilitarized Zone.-Military service and desertion:...
, and Dresnok. The men lived together and participated in several propaganda efforts on behalf of the North Korean government. They appeared on magazine covers and used loudspeakers to try to persuade more American soldiers at the border to defect. However, at first, they did not wish to remain in North Korea indefinitely. In 1966, the four men tried to leave North Korea by seeking asylum at the Soviet embassy in Pyongyang, but were immediately turned over to North Korean authorities by the embassy. Afterwards, Dresnok decided to settle in North Korea and assimilate.
Beginning in 1978, he was cast in several North Korean films, including the 20-part series Unsung Heroes
Unsung Heroes (film)
Unsung Heroes, also known as Unknown Heroes or more literally as Nameless Heroes, is a North Korean propaganda film series about a spy in Seoul during the Korean War. Over twenty hours long, it was filmed and released in multiple parts between 1978 and 1981...
, as an American villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
, and became a celebrity in the country as a result. He is called "Arthur" by his Korean friends, as that is the name of the character he played in the series. He also translated some of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
’s writings into English.
According to Jenkins's book, The Reluctant Communist, Dresnok was something of a bully, betraying the other Americans' confidences to the North Koreans, and enthusiastically beat up Jenkins 30 or more times upon the orders of their Korean handlers. In Crossing the Line, Dresnok vehemently denies these allegations.
In the United States
In the documentary Crossing the Line he explains that after marrying an American woman at a young age, he was deployed in West Germany for two years while she remained in the U.S. He prided himself on "truly loving her and being loyal to her". But when he returned, he found she was already in another relationship. He was quoted as saying, "The good thing was that she did not get pregnant by me because I had promised that I would never abandon my children."In North Korea
He has been married twice more since defecting to North Korea. The first was to a RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n woman named Doina Bumbea (referred to as "Dona" in Jenkins's autobiography), with whom he has two sons, Ted and James. Bumbea supposedly worked at the Romanian Embassy; some accounts claim that she never worked at the embassy and was an abductee, taken by the North Korean secret service. Jenkins's book also mentions this, but also claims that she was abducted to be the wife of one of the American deserters. The website of the Romanian Foreign Office says Romania asked North Korea in 2007 to explain the abduction of Bumbea, but did not receive any answers. Bumbea died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
After Bumbea's death, Dresnok married his third wife, the daughter of a North Korean woman and a Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
lese diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. They had a son in 2001. The family lives in a small apartment in Pyongyang; it was provided along with a monthly stipend by the North Korean government. Today, Dresnok is in failing health, with a bad heart and liver (Dresnok describes his liver as "full of fat"), which he attributes to smoking and drinking too much.
His eldest son from his second marriage, James Dresnok, was a student at Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies
Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies
The Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies is a 5-year university in Pyongyang, North Korea, specialising in language education.-History:The university was split off from Kim Il-sung University in 1964. North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency gives its foundation date as 1949...
, where his father taught English
Teaching English as a foreign language
Teaching English as a foreign language refers to teaching English to students whose first language is not English. TEFL usually occurs in the student's own country, either within the state school system, or privately, e.g., in an after-hours language school or with a tutor...
in the 1980s. James speaks English with a Korean accent and considers himself Korean although he reportedly does not wish to marry a Korean woman. James intends to enter the diplomatic service.
Dresnok has stated that he intends to spend the rest of his life in North Korea, and that no amount of money could entice him back to the West. Currently in retirement, Dresnok occasionally gives lectures in North Korea and spends his time fishing “just to pass the time.”
Documentaries
Dresnok is the subject of a documentary film entitled Crossing the Line by British filmmakers Daniel Gordon and Nicholas Bonner, which was shown at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival2007 Sundance Film Festival
The 2007 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18 until January 28, 2007 in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah and Ogden, Utah. It was the 23-rd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival...
.
He was also featured in An American in North Korea, a 2007 segment on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
by Robert G. Anderson and Casey Morgan.
Other defectors to North Korea
- List of American and British defectors in the Korean War: the 21 Americans and 1 Briton who refused repatriation during Operation Big SwitchOperation Big SwitchOperation Big Switch was the repatriation of all remaining prisoners of the Korean War. Ceasefire talks had been going on between Communist and UN forces since 1951, with one of the main stumbling blocks being the Communist insistence that all prisoners be returned home, with the UN insisting that...
in 1953 (to remain in ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) - Larry Allen AbshierLarry Allen AbshierPrivate Larry Allen Abshier of the U.S. Army was one of six American soldiers to defect to North Korea after the Korean War.-Defecting:...
(1943–1983) of Urbana, IllinoisUrbana, IllinoisUrbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
, deserted in May 1962 at age 19 - Jerry Wayne ParrishJerry Wayne ParrishCpl. Jerry Wayne Parrish of the U.S. Army was one of six American soldiers to defect to North Korea after the Korean War....
(1944–1996) of Morganfield, KentuckyMorganfield, KentuckyMorganfield is a city in Union County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,494 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union County...
, deserted in December 1963 at age 19 - Charles Robert JenkinsCharles Robert JenkinsCharles Robert Jenkins is a former United States Army soldier who lived in North Korea from 1965 to 2004 after deserting his unit and crossing the Korean Demilitarized Zone.-Military service and desertion:...
(born 1940) of Rich Square, North CarolinaRich Square, North CarolinaRich Square is a town in Northampton County, North Carolina, United States of America . The population was 931 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, deserted on January 5, 1965 at age 24 - Roy ChungRoy ChungRoy Chung is widely believed to be the fifth of six United States Army servicemen to have defected to North Korea after the Korean War.- Life and disappearance :...
, deserted in June 1979 - Joseph T. WhiteJoseph T. WhiteJoseph T. White born in St. Louis, Missouri, was a private in the United States Army who defected to North Korea on August 28, 1982. A member of 1/31st Infantry, he shot the lock off one of the gates leading into the Korean Demilitarized Zone and was witnessed surrendering to North Korean troops...
(1961–1985) of St Louis, Missouri, deserted in August 1982 at age 20
Film credits
- Unsung HeroesUnsung Heroes (film)Unsung Heroes, also known as Unknown Heroes or more literally as Nameless Heroes, is a North Korean propaganda film series about a spy in Seoul during the Korean War. Over twenty hours long, it was filmed and released in multiple parts between 1978 and 1981...
(a.k.a. Nameless Heroes) (1978) - Crossing The Line
External links
- The World: Crossing the line audio report
- Telegraph: US defector says he is happier in North Korea
- CBS: Defector Won’t Leave N. Korea For $1B
- CBS: N. Korea’s Last U.S. Defector
- Review of Crossing the Line
- http://www.rfa.org/english/news/social/2007/03/20/nkorea_romania/ Doina Bumbea EN
- http://www.uyghurnews.com/index.asp?ItemID=NM-213200872549193242133 Doina Bumbea EN (2)
- http://stiri.rol.ro/content/view/47815/2/ Doina Bumbea RO
- "The Dear Leader Takes Care of Me" 9-9-2008