"Wants to Return to North Korea"… 60-Year-Old Woman Caught Attempting Defection in Paju

Living Alone After Defecting from North Korea in 2015

Unification Bridge, Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Yeeun] It was recently revealed that a woman in her 60s who defected from North Korea was caught attempting to cross into North Korea from the border area of Paju City, Gyeonggi Province. It is known that she expressed her intention to defect to North Korea to a soldier on duty at the time.

According to the Northern Gyeonggi Police Agency on the 23rd, a report was received by 112 around 3:40 a.m. on the 13th near the south gate of Tongil Bridge in Paju City, stating that a woman in her 60s, identified as Ms. A, was attempting to cross into North Korea.

The Tongil Bridge in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is a gateway leading to the Dorasan South-North Joint Office (CIQ) adjacent to North Korea, and is a place with strict military security. Ms. A was wandering around this area and reportedly requested a soldier on duty, saying, "I want to return to North Korea."

The police, who were dispatched following the soldier's report, took Ms. A into custody for questioning and then handed her over to the police officer in charge at the jurisdiction of her residence.

It is known that Ms. A defected from North Korea in 2015 and had been living alone since then.

A police official stated, "We are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident, and she has not yet been booked on charges such as violating the National Security Act."