North Korean soldier crossing MDL during pursuit of defector
The UN Command has released CCTV footage of last Monday's defection by a North Korean soldier at the Joint Security Area.
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In scenes just like an action movie,... North Korean soldiers violated the Armistice Agreement twice during the incident,... with one soldier briefly crossing the Military Demarcation Line during his desperate pursuit of the defector.
Kim Hyun-bin leading us off at the Defense Ministry.
The United Nations Command on Wednesday released a video showing a North Korean soldier defecting to the South through the Joint Security Area of Panmunjeom last Monday.
The video shows the defector was using a jeep for his escape until it became stuck in a drainage ditch. As the defector got out of the jeep and started sprinting towards the Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas, four North Korean soldiers opened fire at him. Dozens of rounds were fired with several bullets hitting the defector.
The footage also shows one North Korean soldier crossing the military demarcation line for a few seconds during the pursuit. Soon after crossing the MDL, the soldier returns to the north side of the border.
The defector was wounded and fell unconscious on the southern side of the border. Three South Korean soldiers crawled towards him and dragged him to safety.
The UNC Special Investigation Team said that the investigation results show that North Korea violated the UN Armistice Agreement twice during the pursuit.
"The key findings of the special investigation team indicate that the KPA violated the Armistice Agreement by... one firing weapons across the MDL, two by actually crossing the MDL temporarily."
The UNC notified North Korea of these violations at the JSA on Wednesday through the normal communications channel in Panmunjeom, and requested a meeting to discuss the results of the investigation and measures to prevent future violations.
The UNC Special Investigation Team said on Wednesday the investigation team was made up of personnel from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States. Members from Sweden and Switzerland of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission also observed the process.
Kim Hyun-bin, Arirang News.
