A North Korean soldier defected to Goseong, Gangwon Province, early this morning, according to reports.
News outlets, including Chosun Ilbo, have confirmed through multiple military sources that a soldier in his 20s crossed South Korean territory via Goseong, Gangwon Province. The South Korean military confirmed that the soldier, who holds the rank of staff sergeant, entered the area of the Army’s 22nd Division in Goseong County and expressed his intention to defect.
South Korean military officials detected the soldier during a surveillance operation near the Military Demarcation Line and facilitated his defection.
Meanwhile, on the 8th, a North Korean resident also defected to Gyodong Island via the neutral zone in the Han River estuary.
A South Korean military official reported that an individual believed to be a North Korean resident attempted to defect through the western sea near Gyodong Island and was successfully secured by South Korean forces. This is the first defection through the sea of the west in about 15 months, since May of last year.
Most Commented