CaliToday (19/10/2025): A North Korean soldier was taken into custody by the South Korean military on Sunday after he made a rare and perilous journey across the heavily fortified land border dividing the two Koreas, Seoul’s military confirmed.
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| The de facto border between the two Koreas is ridden with landmines (ANTHONY WALLACE) |
A defense ministry official in Seoul told AFP that the soldier, who crossed in the central front of the border, was "seeking to defect to the South."
The defection is a significant event, as crossings of the land border one of the most heavily militarized and mined places on Earth are exceptionally rare.
In a statement, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detailed the operation. "Our military secured the custody of one North Korean soldier who crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) in the central front on Sunday," the JCS said.
The soldier was not captured by chance. "The military identified the individual near the MDL, tracked and monitored him, and conducted a standard guidance operation to take him into custody," the statement added.
The MDL runs through the middle of the 4-kilometer-wide Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which, despite its name, is densely forested, ridden with landmines, and monitored by soldiers from both sides 24 hours a day.
Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled their isolated homeland since the 1950-53 Korean War. However, the vast majority undertake a long, arduous journey overland, first to neighboring China and then typically to a third country, such as Thailand, before finally arriving in South Korea.
Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP that the soldier’s background may have been key to his success. "The soldier's likely familiarity with the area may have helped him navigate the heavily mined terrain," Hong said.
The analyst noted the defection would likely be poorly received in Pyongyang due to the potential intelligence loss. "The latest crossing will not be received positively by Pyongyang, as he could provide the South with information on its troop movements and operations in the border area," Hong added.
Following standard procedure for defectors, the soldier will be handed over to Seoul's intelligence agency for screening. South Korea's military stated that relevant authorities would "investigate the details" of the crossing.
This incident is not the only recent border crossing. In August of last year, another North Korean soldier defected to the South by crossing the MDL. More recently, a North Korean civilian managed to cross the land border in a delicate 20-hour operation with assistance from the South's military.
According to data from Seoul's Unification Ministry, more than 34,000 North Koreans have defected to the South. Last year, 236 defectors arrived, with women accounting for 88 percent of the total. The North Korean regime uses derogatory terms like "human scum" to describe those who escape.
The defection occurs against a backdrop of shifting political policy in Seoul. South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June, has vowed a more dovish approach toward Pyongyang than his hawkish predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. In a speech at the United Nations in September, Lee promised to work to end the "vicious cycle" of tensions and vowed not to seek regime change in the North.
The two Koreas technically remain at war, as the Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
