North Korean soldier walks across border to defect, South says

[alboe]

Source: CNN

Seoul, South Korea (CNN)A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea on Monday across the heavily fortified border that separates the two countries, South Korean authorities said.

The soldier crossed the Military Demarcation Line on foot from the eastern North Korean province of Gangwon, said a South Korean Defense Ministry official, who declined to be identified.

Further details on the circumstances of the defection weren't immediately available.

The border between North and South Korea is considered to be the most heavily militarized in the world. The two countries technically remain at war, because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armed truce and not a peace treaty.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/asia/north-korea-soldier-defection/

[NBachers]

1. I get the impression that it's a pretty hazardous way to take a walk.

[Recursion]

2. That's either a very, very lucky man or a plant (nt)

[DetlefK]

3. Didn't NK declare a war-to-end-all-wars on SK 1 or 2 years ago?

I wonder what happened to that...

[davidpdx]

5. They do EVERY year

It's called spring. They get their panties in a twist about the US/ROK joint exercises.

[freshwest]

4. Hope no one publishes the soldier's name as his family could be at risk in NK. n/t

[underpants]

7. They already know

I served with a couple of guys who had done tours in SK. the DMZ is hard duty. Foot soldiers have to carry everything the need including 60 lbs mortar plates (like a manhole cover).

The U.S. Army does a daily stand to so they know if anyone is missing. We have had a few defectors ourselves mostly infamous Pvt. White who ended up drowning in a river.

Trust me both sides know exactly who is on the DMZ.

[freshwest]

8. I'm not talking about American/SK records. If the NK knows who he is, they'll jail his family. n/t

[davidpdx]

6. I'm surprised the North Koreans didn't try to shot them in the back

as they were crossing. Then of course they would have blamed South Korea and the US.

[randome]

9. Are there cattle grazing on Kim Jong-Un's front yard yet?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]No squirrels were harmed in the making of this post. Yet.[/center][/font][hr]