A North Korean soldier has managed to cross the heavily fortified border to reach South Korea, the South Korean military has announced.
The army intercepted the defector before taking him into custody. He reportedly expressed his intention to settle in the South.
This is the most recent successful defection between the two rival nations, following a similar case in August 2024, when a North Korean sergeant managed to make the crossing.
The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which stretches for 248 kilometres, is protected by extensive minefields, tank traps, barbed wire, and heavily armed troops. In 2017, a North Korean soldier famously fled across the border under fire from his compatriots, sustaining injuries before collapsing on the southern side, where he was rescued by South Korean forces.
In recent years, relations between the two neighbours have remained extremely strained despite the South’s repeated efforts to improve ties.
