An unidentified North Korean man is in South Korean custody after crossing the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas, South Korea’s military announced Friday.
The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the man was spotted near the central-west section of the military demarcation line on Thursday night. A military unit conducted a “guiding operation” and safely brought him out of the mine-laced Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) after identifying themselves as South Korean troops.
The North Korean was reportedly unarmed and was taken into custody without incident.
Authorities have not yet determined whether the crossing was an attempted defection, saying the case is under investigation.
The Joint Chiefs also confirmed that the US-led United Nations Command had been notified of the incident, and said there were no immediate signs of unusual activity by North Korean forces in the area.
Tensions between the two Koreas have escalated in recent months, marked by Cold War-style psychological warfare. North Korea has launched waves of trash-filled balloons into the South, while South Korea responded with anti-North propaganda broadcast over border loudspeakers.
Since taking office last month, South Korea’s new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, has tried to lower tensions. His administration halted the loudspeaker broadcasts and began moving to ban activist groups from sending propaganda leaflets over the border.
Border incidents remain a sensitive flashpoint. In April, South Korean troops fired warning shots to push back around ten North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the line. Last year, North Korean troops crossed the border three times in June while reportedly reinforcing their side with mines and anti-tank barriers.
Diplomatic relations between the Koreas have deteriorated since the collapse of US-North Korea denuclearization talks in 2019. In the aftermath, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expanded his military nuclear program and issued open threats of nuclear conflict toward Washington and Seoul. South Korea’s former conservative government responded by tightening military cooperation with the United States and Japan moves Pyongyang condemned as preparations for invasion.
The latest border breach adds to growing concern about stability along the DMZ, one of the most militarized zones in the world.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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