A North Korean individual defected to the South by traversing the heavily fortified border that divides the peninsula, according to Seoul's military on Tuesday.
Since the 1950s, tens of thousands of North Koreans have escaped to South Korea, although most initially cross into China. Seoul's military reported intercepting 'one suspected North Korean individual on the eastern front' and subsequently transferred them to the appropriate authorities.
The defector, identified as a staff sergeant by Yonhap news agency, received some assistance from the South's military during the defection. The Joint Chiefs of Staff noted no unusual activity by the North Korean military at the time of the defection.
'Relevant authorities are currently investigating and, therefore, cannot confirm the detailed process of the defection,' or the individual's precise motivations and objectives, the military stated. Local media revealed that the defector walked along a road near the waterfront in eastern Gangwon province, wearing their North Korean military uniform when apprehended by authorities.
This marks the second border crossing in two weeks, following another North Korean's successful crossing of the maritime border in the Yellow Sea on August 8. These defections occur amid strained relations between the two Koreas, with North Korea intensifying weapons tests and launching propaganda balloons into the South.
The number of successful defections declined sharply in 2020 after North Korea sealed its borders, allegedly with shoot-on-sight orders along the land frontier with China, to curb the spread of Covid-19. However, with eased border controls in 2023, the number of defectors reaching the South nearly tripled to 196 last year, up from 67 in 2022, according to Seoul's January report. This increase includes more elite diplomats and students seeking escape. Last week, North Korea unexpectedly announced the reopening of its borders to foreign tourists this winter.
