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North Korean soldier defects to South Korea across the rivals’ heavily fortified border
The defector crossed the heavily mined Military Demarcation Line seeking refuge from political repression, joining over 34,000 North Koreans who have fled to the South, officials said.
- On Sunday, a North Korean soldier crossed the Military Demarcation Line and was taken into custody after Seoul's military tracked and secured him near the MDL.
- Historically, tens of thousands have fled North Korea and more than 34,000 have reached the South, often via China and third countries such as Thailand, according to Unification Ministry data.
- The MDL bisects the Demilitarised Zone, one of the most heavily mined places on earth, and defections remain rare due to the densely forested land border monitored by soldiers on both sides.
- Investigators said relevant authorities will probe the crossing and conduct screening, while analysts warned Pyongyang will condemn the defector as `human scum` and view the event negatively.
- Months after a North Korean civilian crossed in a 20-hour operation, South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung took office in June and vowed at the United Nations to end the `vicious cycle` of tensions.
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128 Articles
128 Articles
Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to the southern neighbour since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s.
The man crossed the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, one of the most mined places in the world. He was captured and detained by the South Korean army.
·France
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For the first time since the summer of 2024, a soldier has managed to escape to South Korea via the demilitarized zone secured by landmines and barbed wire fences.
·Dortmund, Germany
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Today, a North Korean soldier managed to desert to South Korea across the heavily fortified border.
·Copenhagen, Denmark
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Total News Sources128
Leaning Left24Leaning Right16Center53Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 26%
C 57%
R 17%
Factuality
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