A South Korean has passed through the highly-security demilitarized zone dividing North and South Korea and defected to North Korea. That’s what the South Korean military says. It’s very unusual for someone to defect to the north.
The demilitarized zone is heavily guarded and full of landmines. The South Korean military does not know if the person is still alive. An army official says an attempt has yet been made to apprehend the cross-border. “But that did not work out, partly due to the difficult terrain,” he told reporters, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Nothing further is known about the identity of the person. Authorities in South Korea are trying to identify the person crossing the road. The North Koreans have been asked via a military telephone line to protect the person.
Crossing prohibited
According to South Korea, more than 30,000 North Koreans have made the risky crossing south since 1953. Only a few chose the route via the border.
Many more North Koreans have fled through China and went to South Korea. They often go from China first to another country, and then on to South Korea. China sees North Koreans as illegal migrants and in many cases sends them back.
Crossing the border into North Korea is prohibited in South Korea. The two countries are formally still at war. The Korean War ended in a ceasefire in 1953, which continues to this day. An official peace treaty has never been signed.
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