The defection was the 14th involving a North Korean soldier since 2000. The last defection by a North Korean military officer took place in 2008, YTN TV said. In November last year, a North Korean soldier drove to the heavily-guarded border at speed and ran across under a hail of bullets from his own side. In 2012 a North Korean soldier walked unchecked through rows of electrified fencing and surveillance cameras, prompting Seoul to sack three field commanders for a security lapse. A month later, five North Koreans in another small boat crossed the sea border into South Korean waters and expressed their wish to live in the South.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 19, 2018 02:15 UTC