North Korean Soldier Defects Across the DMZ

This defection is actually pretty unusual since it is only the third defection of a North Korean soldiers in the past four years:

A North Korean soldier defected Thursday across the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula, the South Korean military said.

The soldier crossed the military demarcation line at about 10 a.m. inside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ, a military official confirmed, speaking on condition of anonymity according to department policy.

The military is investigating how and why the soldier defected, the official said, adding he could not provide more details.

South Korea has reported an increasing number of defectors from the North this year as the isolated country’s ruler Kim Jong Un seeks to tighten his grip on power.  [Stars & Stripes]

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