TOKYO, July 13 (UPI) -- No one expected the reunion in Jakarta of former North Korean abductee Hitomi Soga and her family to last just a few days, and it seemed unlikely that the family members would then go their separate ways. But there is growing concern in Japan that the return of Soga and her family to Tokyo could turn into a diplomatic spat and sour relations between the United States and Japan.
At stake is whether to invoke an extradition treaty between the United States and Japan, or to try to argue for an exemption because of the unusual circumstances of the case.
Hitomi Soga was repatriated to Tokyo in 2002, having spent nearly three decades in Pyongyang after being kidnapped by North Korean spies while out shopping with her mother in Nigata, northern Japan. She was then forced to teach Japanese language and culture to North Korean spies, along with other abducted Japanese nationals.
But when she was finally allowed to return to Japan two years ago, Soga had to leave her husband and two daughters behind in the North Korean capital, given that her husband was not only a U.S. national, but also a former U.S. soldier who had defected to the communist nation in 1965.
The U.S. Army said that 65-year-old Charles Jenkins deserted his platoon near the 38th parallel between South and North Korea. Therefore, if Jenkins returned to the United States he would be tried for treason. If he were to go to Japan, the Japanese government would in theory have to turn Jenkins over to U.S. authorities under a bilateral extradition treaty.
The U.S. State Department made clear Tuesday that Jenkins, as a deserter, is still a wanted man. At the same time, the department's spokesman Richard Boucher made a point of emphasizing that the United States would work closely with Japan on whether or not to extradite him from Tokyo, if Jenkins does indeed arrive in the Japanese capital this weekend as expected.
Indonesia does not have such a treaty with the United States, which is why Jenkins can currently stay with his wife and daughters in a Jakarta hotel, though heavily guarded by Indonesian police, under strict surveillance by North Korean officials and surrounded by Japanese media eager to capture any family moment. In fact, television networks have been competing with one another to give viewers whatever tidbit of new information they can get, including what the family ate the night before in their hotel room in Jakarta and who they met for lunch.
The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's best-selling daily, said that Soga's dream "is for all four family members to live together in Japan, and that is what we too pray for."
But some policymakers and analysts are questioning the extent to which Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has committed himself to Soga's case.
"This really does become a political issue ... and in a presidential election year, it might hurt Japan's relations with the United States," said Ichiro Furudate, news anchor for the popular nightly News Station news program on the TV Asahi network.
To be sure, the fact that the abductees were returned in the first place can be seen as a major achievement for Koizumi. But at the same time, his commitment to reunite Soga with her U.S. national husband and children in Indonesia was regarded by some as merely a means to win over voters in the Upper House elections last weekend, without thinking through the consequences.
Now, the Japanese government is arguing that Jenkins is in need of medical attention that can only be given in Tokyo. Earlier this week, Japanese doctors were flown in to examine the former U.S. soldier who apparently defected to North Korea in order to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. Jenkins had reportedly had surgery on his abdomen in North Korea earlier this year, and Japanese doctors said he would require more specialized medical attention.
By arguing he is in a critical medical condition, Jenkins could be exempted from the extradition laws and be allowed to remain in Japan with his family, instead of being turned over to a U.S. military court.
At the same time, the broader issue of how to deal with North Korea remains.
The daily Yomiuri Shimbun pointed out that whatever happens to Soga and her family, the government should not lose sight of the bigger picture, namely how to deal with Pyongyang and its nuclear capabilities.
North Korea was surprisingly relaxed about releasing Jenkins, and the state television network made a point of broadcasting his departure from Pyongyang. It appeared that the hermit nation did not expect him to return from Jakarta.
"But we cannot lose sight of how North Korean missiles threaten Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the ongoing problem of state-imposed abductions," Yomiuri's op-ed said.
Indeed, while five former abductees were returned to Japan in 2002, some experts estimate that North Korea had systematically kidnapped nearly 100 Japanese nationals over the past three decades, with many believed still alive and unaccounted for.
But whether or not Jenkins is turned over to the U.S. military, and whatever happens to Japan's relations with North Korea, Japanese television viewers just can't seem to get enough of the latest developments for the Soga family, and where they will ultimately end up.
"What a complicated life it's become ... the place I want to live (with my family) is Japan. And I'm making the first step towards it," Soga said as she boarded the plane heading to Jakarta. Whether her desire will come true or not is yet to be seen.
