Seoul: A North Korean individual crossed the "neutral waters" of the Han River estuary near the inter-Korean border into South Korea last week, as confirmed by the military. This event is presumed to be a defection to the South.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean troops secured the North Korean person early last Thursday after detecting their presence in the neutral zone of the Han River estuary located west of the inter-Korean land border. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that the North Korean man is believed to have expressed intent to defect to the South.
A military official stated that troops first detected the individual in the northern part of the estuary using a surveillance device on Wednesday night. After approximately 10 hours of monitoring, the military rescued the person at around 4 a.m. the following day. The JCS noted that there were no unusual signs from North Korean troops during this time.
The individual has been transferred to relevant authorities for further investigation. This incident marks the second defection of a North Korean to the South since the Lee Jae Myung administration assumed office in June. Previously, in July, a North Korean civilian crossed the heavily fortified inter-Korean land border.