A 60-year-old male civilian from North Korea was detained after crossing the heavily fortified land border into South Korea on Thursday, according to Seoul’s military.
The individual managed to cross the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the DMZ’s midwestern part and was tracked down by a surveillance device between 3 and 4 am. The operation took about 20 hours, involving multiple troops who approached him at night after offering to guide him safely out of the DMZ.
The man stayed still during the day and willingly followed the South Korean troops after they offered to help him escape. Authorities are now investigating the incident’s details.
This marks the third North Korean defector in the past year. Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are rare, but some have managed to make it to South Korea using overland routes through China or other countries before entering the country.
The recent defection comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vows a more diplomatic approach towards North Korea, saying “politics and diplomacy must be handled without emotion and approached with reason and logic.”
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korean-avoids-military-landmines-cross-border-south-korea