North Korean soldier defects to South Korea by crossing land border: Seoul

AFP
Above, a South Korean soldier posted in a watchtower at the border with North Korea, divided by the Imjin River in Paju on June 5, 2025. (AFP)
  • ‘Our military secured the custody of one North Korean soldier who crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) in the central front’

SEOUL: A North Korean soldier defected to the South on Sunday by crossing the heavily mined border separating the two Koreas, Seoul’s military said.
“Our military secured the custody of one North Korean soldier who crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) in the central front on Sunday,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
“The military identified the individual near the MDL, tracked and monitored him, and conducted a standard guidance operation to take him into custody,” it said.