# I was kidnapped by North Korea

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lives-less-ordinary-162239/i-was-kidnapped-by-north-korea
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lives-less-ordinary-162239/i-was-kidnapped-by-north-korea.md
Podcast: [Lives Less Ordinary](https://stenobird.com/podcast/lives-less-ordinary-162239)
Published: 2026-06-08T00:30:00+00:00
Episode link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0nqcc4s
Audio file: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss-low/proto/http/vpid/p0nqc81l.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/lives-less-ordinary-162239/episodes/i-was-kidnapped-by-north-korea
Duration seconds: 2006

## Resource

In the 1970s and 80s, a spate of mysterious disappearances were reported along Japan’s coast. One of those was 19-year-old nurse Hitomi Soga, who was walking with her mother when they were kidnapped. She was blindfolded and dragged to a boat destined to the world's most secretive state, North Korea. But why was she taken? Hitomi's stay in North Korea would last 24 years and include a forced marriage to America's most well-known defector, Charles Jenkins. The world watched when eventually she returned home, still desperate to uncover the truth about the mother who vanished with her into the darkness. Presenter: Asya Fouks Translation: Nancy Roberts Voiceover: Yoko Gravestock Producer: Edgar Maddicott Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784 You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

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## Transcript

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