North Korean arrested after crossing border in South Korea
The heavily fortified border between the two Koreas is considered virtually impassable. Nevertheless, one man has now managed to cross. His motives are still unclear.
A North Korean man has been arrested after crossing the heavily fortified border with South Korea . According to the official Yonhap News Agency, the man is said to have crossed the inter-Korean border late Thursday evening (local time). There, he was initially detained by the South Korean military. The man's exact circumstances and motives are currently being investigated. Whether this was a deliberate escape attempt remains unclear.
Especially before the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent border closure by North Korea, numerous North Koreans left their impoverished and authoritarian country every year in search of a better life. Most fled across the border to China. From there, many traveled on to a third country in Southeast Asia and sought refuge in the South Korean embassy.
Crossings across the inter-Korean border, however, are considered extremely dangerous and rare. The two Koreas are separated by a demarcation line up to four kilometers wide.
Since 2023, the number of North Korean refugees arriving in South Korea has been increasing again. According to figures from the Ministry of Unification in Seoul, a total of 236 North Koreans reached the neighboring country in the South via various routes in 2024. Before the pandemic, the number was up to 1,000 per year.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
