South Korea detains North Korean soldier near border; Kim Jong Un orders naval buildup

South Korea's military apprehended a North Korean soldier near the central section of the heavily fortified inter-Korean border on Tuesday night, officials announced Wednesday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the detention and stated that an investigation into the incident is underway.

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Authorities were investigating the incident, JCS said in a text message to Reuters.

According to Yonhap News Agency, which cited an unnamed source, the detained soldier conveyed a desire to defect to South Korea. This incident occurs amidst ongoing tensions and security concerns along the border that divides the Korean Peninsula.

In separate news from North Korea, leader Kim Jong Un has emphasized the need for significant naval expansion. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of a new multipurpose destroyer, the Choe Hyon, at Nampho port, Kim urged the nation to construct two warships annually for the next five years. These vessels are intended to be comparable in size to the 5,000-metric-ton Choe Hyon.

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The soldier expressed an intention to defect to South Korea, without citing a source.

Kim highlighted that the navy has historically been the weakest branch of North Korea's military forces. He expressed a vision for its capabilities to become "something incredible beyond imagination" through modernization. The leader also mentioned plans to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon Soon, along with larger 10,000-ton strategic warships.

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North Korea should build two warships as large ​as its 5,000-metric-ton Choe Hyon vessel every year ‌in the next five years.

The North Korean leader stressed that building a modernized naval base is an "essential task." He indicated that officials from the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee have discussed plans for new naval bases. Kim also suggested that the navy's "nuclearization is advancing along its own course," contributing to the country's overall nuclear deterrence.

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The navy ‌had ⁠been the weakest part of North Korea's military forces, Kim said, adding that its capabilities would now be "something incredible beyond imagination."