North Korean man makes rare direct land crossing to South – DW – 07/04/2025
South Korea's military detained a person who crossed the border from North Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Friday.
He crossed the near the central-west section of the military demarcation line, which sits exactly halfway within the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula, on Thursday.
The South Korean military team guided the unarmed North Korean man safely out of the mine-strewn DMZ.
The JCS confirmed that the person is in custody and will be subject to investigation by relevant law enforcement agencies, but did not immediately say whether they view the incident as a defection attempt.
The Joint Chiefs added that no unusual actions by the North Korean military were detected.
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About 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the Korean War in the 1950s.
However, fewer North Koreans have recently been able to cross the DMZ successfully.
It is a 248-kilometer (155-mile) long, 4-kilometer-wide border, guarded by land mines, tank traps and combat troops on both sides, in addition to barbed-wire fences.
Border tensions have increased in recent months. North Korea has sent thousands of balloons filled with trash to South Korea.
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has made efforts to rebuild trust with North, since taking office last month, including shutting down loudspeakers blasting propaganda against North Korea along the border.
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