A North Korean civilian defected to South Korea after being detected near a stream inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) by military surveillance. South Korean troops made contact with the man at night near the Military Demarcation Line. The operation took 20 hours as troops navigated through dense vegetation and landmines to guide the individual to safety. Direct defections through the DMZ are extremely rare and dangerous, although approximately 34,000 North Koreans have fled to the South since the Korean War.
The man was first detected by South Korean military surveillance equipment sometime between 3 and 4 a.m. on Thursday near a shallow stream inside the DMZ.
South Korean troops approached him that night and eventually made contact near the Military Demarcation Line, the de facto border within the DMZ.
The entire operation, which involved a significant number of troops navigating dense vegetation and landmine hazards, took about 20 hours, the JCS said.
About 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the Korean War in the 1950s.
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