The military secured the New Recruit of a North Korean civilian who crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) the day before.
A North Korean civilian crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) the day before (3rd), prompting an immediate response from the South Korean military, which secured his New Recruit.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on the 4th, the military identified a male at around 3 to 4 a.m. on the 3rd near the central and western front lines using surveillance equipment. This individual was found in a shallow stream about 1 meter deep, and he showed no significant movement until daytime, and due to the dense foliage, he was sometimes not visible.
The military deployed an operation team at night. The team approached the male, and when asked who he was, they said, "We are the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. We will guide you safely," after which he reportedly followed the operation team. They crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at around 11 p.m. This male identified himself as a civilian and reportedly had no weapons, according to JCS officials.
The military is handing this individual over to relevant authorities and is currently investigating the reasons and processes behind his southward movement. The intention of this resident to defect has not yet been confirmed. The JCS explained, "The relevant authorities are scheduled to investigate the details of the southward movement," adding, "As of now, there are no unusual movements of the North Korean military." It also stated that there have been no unusual movements of the North Korean military up to now, and the military has shared this information with the United Nations Command (UNC).
Whether the male has defected is expected to become clear through investigations.
North Korea has recently reinforced the barbed wire fences in the MDL area and built barriers suspected to be for anti-tank use, among other measures to strengthen front-line defenses. However, the area he crossed was one where this work had not been done. Nonetheless, JCS reported that there are unconfirmed landmines and that moving through the area is not easy due to dense foliage.
Meanwhile, the last time a North Korean individual defected across the MDL was on August 20 last year, when a member of the North Korean military defected over the MDL in the Goseong area of Gangwon Province.