Tag: DMZ

A Gymnast Allegedly Vaulted Over DMZ Fence to Escape North Korea

If true this would go down as a unique defection:

In the annals of great escapes, vaulting the barbed wire, heavily-surveilled fence that separates the mined no-manโ€™s land between North and South Korea would surely feature strongly.ย 

According to the South Korean media this week, a defector who evaded security in one of the most dangerous border crossings of the world on November 3 was a former gymnast who managed to swing himself over the imposing barricades, reportedly without triggering key sensors.ย 

The authorities vowed to investigate why high-tech security systems did not work. โ€œWe will look into why the sensors did not ring and make sure they operate properly,โ€ an official told Yonhap news agency.

The man, reported to be wearing blue civilian clothes and in his twenties, later surrendered after a manhunt by the South Korean military units who discovered a breach of the fence. He was detained without incident just under a mile south of the fence and has asked for asylum.ย 

The Telegraph

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