South Korea says North Korean soldier in custody after crossing border: Report
The North Korean soldier is believed to have defected, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
This photo shows a North Korean soldier standing guard in a watch tower next to a giant loudspeaker, near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas in Paju on Jun 12, 2025. (File photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
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SEOUL: South Korea took a soldier from the North into custody after the individual crossed the heavily fortified border this week in what is believed to be a defection, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday (Jun 24).
“The military secured one North Korean soldier in the central front Tuesday night, and relevant authorities are currently investigating the details,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to the media, according to Yonhap.
Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s.
Most go overland to neighbouring China first, then enter a third country such as Thailand before finally making it to the South.
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Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare, as the area is densely forested, riddled with landmines and monitored by soldiers on both sides.
North Koreans are typically handed over to Seoul’s intelligence agency for screening after arriving in the South.
More than 34,000 North Koreans have escaped the isolated country to the South, according to data from the Unification Ministry.
In 2024, 236 North Koreans arrived in South Korea, with women accounting for 88 per cent of the total.
Pyongyang uses harsh words such as “human scum” to describe citizens who escape.
Source: AFP/rk
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