A North Korean soldier in his 20s defected to South Korea on the morning of August 20, local time, through Goseong in Gangwon Province, according to multiple military sources.
A military official reported that the soldier crossed into the South Korean Army’s 22nd Division area in Gangwon Province, and expressed his intention to defect. The military has secured the soldier and plans to hand him over to the relevant authorities.
The South Korean military reportedly spotted the individual near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during routine border surveillance. “We successfully guided his defection,” an official said. The soldier’s rank was identified as a sergeant.
This incident follows a previous defection on August 8, when a North Korean civilian crossed into Gyodong Island via the neutral waters of the Han River estuary.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
