James Joseph Dresnok

James Joseph Dresnok
BornNovember 24, 1941[1]
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
DiedNovember 2016 (aged 74–75)
Pyongyang, North Korea
Allegiance United States (1958–1962)
 North Korea (1962–2016)
Service/branch United States Army (1958–1962)
Years of service1958–1962 (defected)
Rank Private first class
Other workTeacher, actor, translator.

James Joseph Dresnok (November 24, 1941 – November 2016) was an American-born North Korean actor, translator and teacher. One of six American soldiers to defect to North Korea after the Korean War.

After defecting, Dresnok worked as an actor in propaganda movies, some directed by Kim Jong-il,[2] and as an English teacher in Pyongyang. He was featured on the CBS magazine program 60 Minutes on January 28, 2007, as the last United States defector alive in North Korea. He was also the subject of a documentary movie, Crossing the Line which was shown at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.[3]

In April 2017, a Western news organization that focuses on North Korea reported that Dresnok had died the previous year.[4] On 21 August 2017, Dresnok's sons confirmed that he had died of a stroke in November 2016.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ Virginia, Birth Records, 1912-2014, Delayed Birth Records, 1854-1911; Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.
  2. ↑ "The Americans Who Chose To Live in North Korea". BBC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2016.
  3. ↑ World Documentary Competition, “Crossing the Line” (2006) Archived March 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Accessed January 28, 2007.
  4. ↑ O'Carroll, Chad (10 April 2017). "Jim Dresnok, American who defected to N.Korea in 1962, died in 2016". NK News - North Korea News. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Sons confirm death of US soldier James Dresnok, who defected to North Korea". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "A U.S. soldier who defected to North Korea in 1962 has died, his Pyongyang-born sons say". The Washington Post. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.