[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Unsolved Mystery of North Korean Men

Early morning ocean currents on the East Coast on the 16th (Data provided by the National Oceanographic Research Institute website)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The military stated that the North Korean man who defected to the East Coast is a "civilian." However, examining his defection details as revealed by the military raises many doubts about this explanation.

According to the military on the 18th, the man found in the civilian control line (CCL) area of Gangwon Province on the 16th wore a Mugeuri diving suit and flippers at night on the 15th and swam for six hours to reach the Korean East Sea coast. At that time, the seawater temperature recorded at the Sokcho Beach marine observation site was 6.27℃. This water temperature can cause hypothermia if an ordinary person swims for more than 3 to 4 hours. Especially, according to the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency website, the ocean current was flowing northward in the early morning of the 16th.

The Mugeuri diving suit the man wore is usually clothing worn by fishermen when harvesting seafood. The military's explanation is that a civilian swam against the ocean current for six hours enduring low water temperatures wearing a Mugeuri diving suit, which is not a professional diving suit.

After arriving at the beach, the man walked 5 km to the Jejin checkpoint. The CCTV at Jejin checkpoint recorded him around 4:20 a.m. Having roamed our area for about three hours, he rested briefly before being discovered by the military, at which time he reportedly expressed his intention to defect. In other words, during the three hours he traveled on foot, he could not have met anyone to express his defection intention.

However, the 22nd Division, the jurisdictional unit, was conducting training around Goseong County from the 15th to the 19th, right after the Lunar New Year holidays. During this period, large-scale movements of military equipment, vehicles, and troops, including tanks, were taking place along National Route 7 and local roads. It is difficult to understand how the man walking along National Route 7 did not encounter anyone for three hours.

The fact that the man is in his 20s adds to the suspicion. The usual service period in the North Korean military is 10 years, and for special forces, it is 13 years. This means the probability of a North Korean man in his 20s being a civilian is very low. The military authorities did not specify the man's age but responded that they would "not refute" the media reports stating he is in his 20s.

A military official said, "We are investigating the circumstances of his southward movement and will announce the results once they are available."