Court Sentences 30s Defector Who Attempted to Cross North Due to Hardship and Homesickness to 1 Year Imprisonment

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] A man in his 30s, a defector who tried to return to North Korea through the Military Demarcation Line due to financial hardship and homesickness, was sentenced to prison by the court.

According to the legal community on the 14th, Judge Go So-young of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 25 sentenced A (36), who was detained and prosecuted on charges of violating the National Security Act (attempted infiltration/escape) and the Military Bases and Military Facilities Protection Act, to one year in prison and two years of disqualification.

A decided to defect with his wife and crossed the Yalu River in March 2018, passing through China and several other countries before setting foot in South Korea.

However, A was unable to find a suitable job afterward and suffered from hallucinations, failing to adapt to society. Last year, he was even divorced by his wife.

Ultimately, A decided to return to North Korea due to economic hardship and longing for the family he left behind there. He attempted to defect northward via China, but when visa issuance became difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to cross the Military Demarcation Line in Gangwon Province and carried out his plan.

In September of last year, he was caught by military authorities while attempting to defect northward by crossing the southern boundary line of the DMZ in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province.

The court pointed out to A, "If the defendant had succeeded in entering North Korea, there was a risk that investigation methods and interrogation details learned through Hanawon during the process of leaving North Korea and entering the Republic of Korea, the locations and structures of agencies, the admission and discharge processes, and personal information of other defectors and police officers responsible for personal protection could have been leaked to North Korea."

It continued, "The defendant attempted to enter North Korea through military facilities, and if infiltration routes were leaked, the existence, security, or the free democratic basic order of the state could have been endangered."

However, the court stated that the sentence was determined considering that A admitted and confessed to the crime, that he defected at the urging of his wife and mother-in-law but could not easily settle due to thoughts of the family left behind in North Korea, and that he was divorced from his wife.