JCS: "One North Korean Soldier Defects Across the MDL"

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on October 19 that they had secured custody of a North Korean military personnel who crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the central front and expressed an intention to defect earlier that morning.

North Korean military

The Joint Chiefs of Staff explained, "The military identified, tracked, and monitored the individual in the MDL area, conducted a standard guidance operation, and secured custody of the defector. Relevant agencies will investigate the details of the defection route to the south."

So far, there have been no unusual movements detected from the North Korean military.

This marks the third defection case since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, but it is the first time that a military personnel has defected.