North Korean Individual Crosses Heavily Fortified Border, In South Korean Custody
North Korean Individual Crosses Heavily Fortified Border, In South Korean Custody
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An unidentified North Korean individual successfully crossed the heavily fortified land border separating the two Koreas and is now in South Korean custody. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the incident, which occurred Thursday night, stating that military personnel identified and tracked the person near the central-west section of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) before conducting a “guiding operation.”
Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances of the border crossing and have not yet determined if it constitutes a defection attempt. The JCS has notified the U.S.-led United Nations Command about the incident, reporting no immediate signs of unusual military activity from North Korea.
According to the JCS, a South Korean military team safely approached the unarmed North Korean individual, identified themselves as South Korean troops, and guided the person out of the mine-strewn DMZ. This event unfolds amidst recent heightened tensions, including North Korea sending trash-filled balloons and South Korea broadcasting anti-Pyongyang propaganda.
South Korea’s new liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who took office last month, has been actively working to rebuild trust with North Korea, having recently halted frontline loudspeaker broadcasts and moved to ban activist balloon launches.
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