Charles Jenkins (64) an American soldier accused of defecting to North Korea nearly 40 years ago, said on Wednesday he would soon give himself up to United States military authorities.
”I will soon voluntarily face the charges that have been filed against me by the US army,” he said in a statement from Japan, where he now lives with his Japanese wife and two daughters.
Desertion carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, but Jenkins is reportedly hoping for a plea bargain.
Officials in Washington are eager to pursue his case, but the Japanese government has an interest in keeping him out of prison.
His wife, Hitomi Soga, was among dozens of Japanese abducted by North Korean spies during the Cold War.The pair met and married met in the communist state.
She returned to Japan in 2002, but he only came back this year. – Guardian Unlimited Â