NK soldier kills 2 officers during defection
Source: Agencies |
October 7, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A North Korean soldier killed two of his officers yesterday and defected to South Korea across the heavily guarded border between the countries in a rare crossing that prompted South Korean troops to immediately beef up their border patrol, officials said.
The soldier shot his platoon and company commanders before crossing the western side of the Demilitarized Zone at around noon, a Defense Ministry official said, citing the soldier's statement after he was taken into custody by South Korean border guards.
The official said the soldier used a loudspeaker to let South Korean border guards know his intention to defect after the killings. The official said his motive was unclear.
No unusual military movement was detected from the North Korean side of the border after the crossing, but South Korea immediately instructed its border troops to step up their guard, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said.
There was no immediate comment from North Korea's state-run media.
The last defection across the Demilitarized Zone by a North Korean soldier occurred in 2010, officials said. Another soldier and an officer also defected to South Korea across the border in two separate crossings in 2008.
More than 24,000 North Koreans have arrived in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.
The area where yesterday's defection took place is along the route to a South Korean-financed industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, officials said.
Border security has been tighter than usual along the border in the past few years as military and political tensions between the two Koreas soared following a series of flashpoints.
The soldier shot his platoon and company commanders before crossing the western side of the Demilitarized Zone at around noon, a Defense Ministry official said, citing the soldier's statement after he was taken into custody by South Korean border guards.
The official said the soldier used a loudspeaker to let South Korean border guards know his intention to defect after the killings. The official said his motive was unclear.
No unusual military movement was detected from the North Korean side of the border after the crossing, but South Korea immediately instructed its border troops to step up their guard, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said.
There was no immediate comment from North Korea's state-run media.
The last defection across the Demilitarized Zone by a North Korean soldier occurred in 2010, officials said. Another soldier and an officer also defected to South Korea across the border in two separate crossings in 2008.
More than 24,000 North Koreans have arrived in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.
The area where yesterday's defection took place is along the route to a South Korean-financed industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, officials said.
Border security has been tighter than usual along the border in the past few years as military and political tensions between the two Koreas soared following a series of flashpoints.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
