Not much has been heard from the U.S. Army deserter who spent nearly 40 years in North Korea, Charles Jenkins, aside from his book (”To Tell The Truth,” Japanese title: “Kokuhaku“) that’s still not published in English, but it appears he may become at least a bit involved in social-political issues in his new home of Japan, at least those related to North Korea:

Jenkins, who stayed in North Korea for almost 40 years until 2004, said in his autobiography that he had met a woman there believed to be Anocha Panjoy.

In a speech in Bangkok on Tuesday at an international conference addressing the human rights situation in North Korea, Jenkins said Anocha hated being in Pyongyang. Jenkins, who now lives in Japan with his wife, Hitomi Soga, also criticized North Korea for refusing to acknowledge Anocha’s abduction. Soga was abducted to North Korea in 1978.

Anocha is believed to have been kidnapped from Macau on May 21, 1978, her elder brother said.