The person was spotted using surveillance equipment in the demilitarized zone. This is a guarded area that separates the two countries. The observation took place at 21.20 on Saturday local time. This was stated by South Korea’s defense staff on Sunday.
The incident triggered a search operation led by the South Korean army. It gave no results.
Alerted North Korea
South Korean authorities on Sunday notified North Korea of the incident. The North Koreans have not yet responded. It reports the South Korean newspaper The Korea Herald.
No unusual military activity has been detected by North Korea since the border breach.
It is not yet known if the person who crossed the border is still alive.
North Korean guards have orders to fire shots if people try to enter the country illegally from the south. Moving across the many minefields will also involve a significant risk.
It is expected that the South Korean military forces will receive massive criticism after the incident for lack of security.
Very unusual event
More than 30,000 people have fled North Korea to South Korea since The Korean War. It was concluded in the summer of 1953 through a ceasefire agreement. A peace agreement has still not been negotiated between the two countries.
Ever since the end of the war, it has been very unusual for people to travel from south to north.
The demilitarized zone is full of landmines. There is also a heavy presence of soldiers on both sides. Only a very few have therefore ventured over this safety zone. Most North Koreans fleeing the country cross the country’s 1,350-kilometer border with China.
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