South Korea detains North Korean defector who crossed border

South Korea’s military said it took custody of a North Korean soldier who crossed the heavily fortified interKorean border on Sunday, Oct. 19, in the central sector of the Military Demarcation Line. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the soldier was tracked and secured after entering South Korean territory in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, and that he expressed a desire to resettle in the South. Officials said they will investigate the circumstances and the soldier’s motive.

The military said it monitored the individual’s movements and conducted a planned operation to bring him to safety. “No unusual movements by the North Korean military have been detected so far,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, while adding that relevant authorities will probe how the crossing took place and whether others were involved.

The defection is the first known case involving a North Korean soldier since the current government took office in June and the first soldier to cross by land since August 2024. South Korean officials say it marks the third interKorean crossing since June; two earlier cases involved civilians. Last year, 236 North Koreans arrived in the South, with women accounting for about 88...