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🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

North Korean soldier defects across central front line; details under investigation

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea across the central front line on June 23.
  • The Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the soldier's defection and stated that details are under investigation.
  • This marks the fourth defection case since the current South Korean government took office, and the second involving a military member.

A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea across the central front line on the night of June 23, the South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced on June 24. The soldier's defection was confirmed, and authorities are currently investigating the specific details of the incident.

The North Korean soldier reportedly expressed a desire to defect. The defection occurred in the Hwacheon area of Gangwon Province. This incident represents the fourth instance of a North Korean defection since the current administration took office, and the second involving a member of the North Korean military.

We secured the person of one North Korean soldier on the night of June 23 across the central front line.

— Joint Chiefs of StaffAnnouncing the defection of a North Korean soldier to South Korea.

Further details regarding the circumstances of the defection, including the soldier's identity and the method of crossing the heavily fortified border, are expected to be released as the investigation progresses. The JCS has stated that relevant agencies are collaborating to gather and analyze all information pertaining to the event.

Related details are currently under investigation by relevant agencies.

— Joint Chiefs of StaffProviding information on the ongoing investigation into the defection.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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