NKorean soldier defects to South Korea through DMZ

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A North Korean soldier has defected to South Korea through the heavily fortified border dividing the two countries, an official from the South's spy agency said Tuesday, in only the second such defection in a decade.

Meanwhile, North Korea warned it would turn South Korea into "debris" and break off all relations if Seoul does not halt "confrontational" activities against the communist country.

"The puppet authorities had better remember that the advanced pre-emptive strike of our own style will reduce everything opposed to the nation and reunification to debris, not just setting them on fire," the North's military said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Also Tuesday, South Korea's spy chief told lawmakers that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il — though "not physically perfect" — appears to be recovering and is running the country without difficulty. South Korean and U.S. officials say North Korea's autocratic 66-year-old leader suffered a stroke, reportedly in mid-August. North Korea denies he is ill.



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jLNdmLDWFbiWCQLZ00LQ...

---

Wow! That guy must have quite a story to tell!