PYONGYANG, North Korea, July 15, 2007
Joe Dresnok: An American In North Korea
Bob Simon Reports On The Last U.S. Soldier Still Living In North Korea
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Play CBS Video Video Last U.S. Soldier In N. Korea In Full: Bob Simon speaks to Joe Dresnok, the last American soldier who lives in North Korea and does not plan on leaving ever.
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Video An American In North Korea The last American defector still living in North Korea tells his story 44 years after deserting the army in 1962. Bob Simon reports.
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Joe Dresnok (Courtesy of Crossing The Line)
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(Courtesy of Crossing The Line)
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Fast Facts North Korea Learn about the people, economy and history.
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Interactive N. Korea: Tests And Threats Follow recent events and learn about this secretive nation's nuclear capabilities.
"I don’t consider it a propaganda movie. I took great honor in doing it," Dresnok said.
“And that was how he found salvation in North Korea is that he played the part of an evil American,” Gordon says.
“And he’s the John Wayne of North Korea,” Bonner adds.
“The John Wayne of North Korea playing the villain,” Simon remarks, laughing.
And Dresnok enjoyed becoming a celebrity. "We walk around with him and people say, 'Come here, come here,'" explains Gordon. "He’d never have done that in Virginia, you know? He wasn’t exactly Hollywood material."
Beyond starring in dozens of movies, he translated the Great Leader's writings into English. He taught some English as well.
"I've taught in a foreign language college in 1986. I poured all my knowledge and effort to help them, to teach them. Some of the places in the educational fields, they invite me to give a lecture once in a while," Dresnok says.
In North Korea, Dresnok finally got what he had never had in America: a family. He married an eastern European woman and had two sons. But his wife died young. Then, he married the daughter of a Korean woman and an African diplomat; she and Dresnok have a six-year-old.
The British filmmakers were stunned by his eldest son James, who’s studying at Pyongyang’s elite foreign language college.
"My father is American and I've got American blood. But as I born here I consider myself as Korean," James told the filmmakers.
"He speaks and acts like a Korean. He speaks English in a Korean accent. It’s a very strange thing," says Gordon.
"When we interviewed him he says you know, you want peace in this world. I don’t understand what all this war is going on—or “wer” as he calls it. I would like to be in a position where we can we can stop all this," Bonner adds.
"I start to learn English to become a diplomat. I’d like to make the world which has no war at all. And no terror at all," James told the film team.
“He thinks of himself as Korean. His friends are Korean. But you mentioned, he doesn’t want to marry a Korean woman,” Simon asks Gordon.
“Yeah. I mean, that’s what he was saying. But you know, his best friend, who’s Korean is like, ‘All the Korean girls love him,’ you know,” he replies laughing.
Gordon says James is a popular kid. “I mean they love him. And you know, he’s got blond hair and blue eyes.”
Now his father's days are pretty dull—fishing, and smoking, and drinking. The government provides a small apartment and a monthly stipend, but even in the capital, where only the privileged are allowed to live, blackouts are frequent, and running water seldom runs. All homes have a built-in radio speaker that pipes out propaganda. The radio can be turned down, but not off.
"There is this propaganda everywhere in North Korea," explains Gordon. "You walk down the street, there’s all sorts of revolutionary music that will just play out from loud speakers. Down the escalators into the metro, propaganda is playing. If you’re in the fields, you’ll have news read to you. And that’s all part and parcel of their propaganda machine."
The wide streets of the capital see little traffic and surprisingly few bicycles. The government believes bikes give people too much mobility and make them too hard to keep track of.
Produced By Robert G. Anderson and Casey Morgan
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 64 CommentsThe overbearing eyes and hands of NK's censors and handlers was laughingly obvious in the story. Imagine a bottle of Johnny Walker being available to any citizen, even Dresnok. That was probably his first taste of American liquor in 45 years, and I'd be surprised if we was allowed to keep the bottle after the film crew left.
No, Dresnok is living in a hell that even the filmmakers are unable to capture. He is a prisoner in a foreign, frightened, artifical and suspicous culture. He abandoned his country, assaulted his fellow Americans, and sold his soul for NOTHING. 45 years in North Korea is a punishment worse thn death or 20 years on death row. Pity Dresnok for his uninformed decision from so long ao that ruined his life.
Anyone who would run through a minefield like a coward rather than stand and fight deserves the miserable life he ended up with.
He certainly would not be any better off in this country; he's just a friggin' loser. In fact, he's just one more loser not being supported by our government.
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Actually the Korean peninsula was divided after WWII into Soviet and American zones just like Germany was. The Korean war started out as a civil war between the north and south when N. Korea attacked the south.
So, without the intervention of the Soviets and Americans the war would have been over in a heartbeat and over 50,000 additional Americans would probably be alive today enjoying their grandchildren.
So, is the current state of Korean affairs worth 50,000+ American lives and countless billions of dollars of our support?
I ask the same question about Iraq.
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Unless you saw them yourself you don't KNOW that they are there.
What is your reference or source for our government claiming they are defectors? Surely you have a URL to share with us.
Posted by garner991 at 03:48 PM : Jan 31, 2007"
You are a dreamer; "string him up" for what? LOL
The guy was lost since he was a child; and he finally found himself, A FAMILY HE NEVER HAD, and a stationary home.
Unless we are devilish, we should be happy for him and let him live out his days in peace. LOL
Article in 1996.
http://www.korea-dmz.com/home/page/sub05/02/sub05_02_01.asp?s_oid=@4402%7C7%7C1&s_oid_class=cda_article
It's in Korean.
Well, American soldiers crossed DMZ and went into North Korea are totally new to me.
I'm Korean & run www.law4u.net .
Article in 1996.
http://www.korea-dmz.com/home/page/sub05/02/sub05_02_01.asp?s_oid=@4402%7C7%7C1&s_oid_class=cda_article
It's in Korean.
Well, American soldiers crossed DMZ and went into North Korea are totally new to me.
I'm Korean & run www.law4u.net .
God Bless
Glimmerman
And you think that Americans are fed to overfill with propaganda also? LOL
God Bless
Glimmerman
After rough beginnings, he finally got a life and is being respected and treated better than many American vets.
Joe is so proud that he is able to send his child to college, something he probably couldn't imagine for himself growing up.
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