A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea by crossing the heavily militarized border, local media reported on Tuesday.
The man, wearing a military uniform, crossed over on Tuesday morning in the eastern part of the Korean peninsula and was taken into custody by South Korean guards, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. Further details were not initially provided.
The report comes just under two weeks after a North Korean man reportedly crossed the heavily guarded maritime border into South Korea.
According to reports, the escapes could be linked to recent psychological warfare measures by the South Korean military, including broadcasting propaganda messages into North Korea using loudspeaker systems along the border.
Many North Koreans leave their impoverished and authoritarian country every year in search of a better life, but attempts to escape by sea are rare. Most people wishing to escape flee across the border to China. Many of them later arrive in South Korea via circuitous routes.
The number of North Korean refugees arriving in South Korea has been increasing again since last year. According to figures from the Ministry of Unification in Seoul, a total of 105 North Koreans reached the neighbouring country in the first half of 2024.
