An unidentified North Korean man crossed the heavily guarded land border into South Korea and is currently in custody, according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The military said the man was detected near the central-western section of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) on Thursday evening. Troops conducted a “guiding operation” to lead him safely across the mine-filled zone before detaining him.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether this was a defection attempt but said the individual was unarmed. The United Nations Command has been notified.
There were no unusual movements observed from the North Korean military at the time of the crossing.
Border tensions have been rising in recent months. North Korea has sent thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border, while South Korea resumed anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts before halting them last week to ease tensions.
The incident comes as South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, seeks to rebuild trust with Pyongyang. His administration has taken steps to de-escalate the situation, including stopping the use of propaganda balloons.
In a separate incident in April, South Korean troops fired warning shots after around 10 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the demarcation line. No exchange of fire occurred.
Diplomatic talks between the two Koreas remain frozen, following the collapse of U.S.-North Korea denuclearisation negotiations in 2019.
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