North Korean man defects across DMZ to South Korea

A North Korean man crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the central-western front Thursday, and the South Korean military secured him in custody. This marks the first case of a North Korean civilian crossing south since President Lee Jae-myung took office.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday that the man was detected around 3 to 4 a.m. Thursday by the South Korean military’s thermal observation devices near a shallow stream on the central-western front. The water depth was about one meter. The man moved cautiously, staying low and scanning his surroundings.

“He barely moved during the day and only traveled at night,” a Joint Chiefs official said. “At times, he hid in bushes, making his movements difficult to detect.”

Thursday night, the military dispatched an armed team to conduct a guiding operation. When the team approached within 100 meters, the man asked who they were. The team leader, a sergeant first class, replied, “We are the Republic of Korea Army. We will guide you safely,” before escorting him out of the DMZ. The operation lasted nearly 20 hours from initial detection to securing custody. The man identified himself as a civilian and was unarmed.

Since he willingly descended to the MDL area and cooperated with the military, officials believe he defected voluntarily. “Relevant agencies will investigate his crossing and intention to defect,” a military official said.

This is the first land crossing of a North Korean resident into the South since August 2023, when a soldier defected along the East Coast. Since then, North Korea has intensified efforts to block crossings, including landmine planting and barrier construction. The United Nations Command recently received notice from the North of resumed anti-South barrier work in the DMZ, mobilizing about 1,000 personnel for barrier installations and mine planting.

“The crossing area had no recent construction,” the Joint Chiefs said. “However, unconfirmed mines and thick vegetation make movement difficult.”

President Lee received detailed reports on the custody of the defector from National Security Director Wi Sung-lac and Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, the Presidential Office said.

Meanwhile, South Korea currently holds six North Korean residents rescued after drifting at sea in March and May. All want to return to the North, but repatriation efforts have stalled amid no response from Pyongyang.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com