In what can be called a rare defection, a South Korean crossed the heavily armed border to enter Kim Jong Un-ruled North Korea, military of South Korea said on Sunday.
After detecting a person around 9:20 pm (1220 GMT) on Saturday on the eastern side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), a search operation was carried out, said the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
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“We’ve confirmed that the person crossed the Military Demarcation Line border about 10:40 pm (1340 GMT) and defected to the North,” the JCS added.
Although the JCS sent a notice to the North through military hotline, asking for his protection, it could not confirm if the person was alive.
The two Koreas are separated by DMZ. The crossing of border is illegal in South Korea.
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This comes as North Korea has imposed strict anti-coronavirus measures since shutting its borders in early 2020. It has till now not confirmed any infections of the disease.
After North Korean troops shot dead a South Korean fisheries’ official, who had went missing at sea in September 2020, a public and political uproar had emerged in the region. Pyongyang had apologised and blamed the anti-virus rules for the incident.
(With inputs from agencies)
