A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea on Tuesday (Aug. 20) morning by crossing the heavily fortified border on the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, the state news agency reported. Yonhap citing the South Korean military.
The soldier crossed into Goseong county on the east coast bordering North Korea and was taken into custody by South Korean guards who had been monitoring his movements, the news agency said.
A South Korean defense ministry official said the military took a suspected North Korean across the eastern border into custody and authorities were questioning him about his motives for crossing. The official declined to provide further details.
Yonhap reported that the North Korean soldier held the rank of staff sergeant.
Earlier this month, a North Korean defected to the South on the west coast. Cross-border defections by North Koreans are considered risky and relatively rare. Most defectors who make their way to the South usually travel through China or other third countries. (uh)
