North Korean soldier crosses heavily-mined demilitarized zone to defect to South Korea
Over a thousand defectors leave North Korea each year although most of them do so by travelling through China rather than cross the
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A North Korean soldier has walked across one of the world’s most dangerous borders in an attempt to defect to South Korea.
The teenager crossed the heavily mined Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which is approximately 2.5 miles wide, on Monday.
While there are more than a thousand defections from North Korea to the south every year, it is rare for people to cross the DMZ, instead opting to leave via China. The last crossing of the DMZ was in 2012.
According to South Korean Defence Ministry officials, the soldier approached a remote South Korean guard post in Gangwon province’s Hwacheon county, at around 8am local time (12am BST) on Monday.
There was no exchange of fire or warning shots as the soldier clearly expressed his desire to defect, the official said. He is currently being held in custody while checks are carried out.
The DMZ is a zone running along the 38th parallel, set up at the end of the Korean war, and is heavily fortified with barbed wire and landmines. Telephones on the South Korean side of the zone have been placed so that North Korean defectors can call for assistance.
Yonhap News Agency reported a South Korean official who said that the North’s military had been laying additional landmines along sections of the border this year, apparently to prevent further defections.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry declined to confirm the report.
Additional Reporting: Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments