One North Korean Defects via Han River Neutral Zone in West Sea; "No Unusual Movements from North"

It has been confirmed that a North Korean resident defected through the Han River Neutral Zone in the West Sea.

On August 7, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced, "Our military secured the identity of a North Korean individual in the area of the Han River Neutral Zone at dawn on July 31 and handed the person over to the relevant authorities."

According to a military official, prior to this, on the night of July 30, our military first detected the individual in the Han River Neutral Zone area using surveillance equipment. The military then tracked and monitored the individual for approximately 10 hours through standard security operations.

Subsequently, at around 4 a.m. on July 31, the military rescued the individual in the Han River Neutral Zone area using a coastal combat boat. The rescue point was reported to be at a depth of about 11 meters, and the water level was rising at the time.

At that time, the individual waved their hand to signal for help, and our military asked, "This is the Republic of Korea Navy. Do you intend to defect?" After confirming the intent, the military secured custody of the individual and handed them over to the relevant authorities.

The North Korean resident reportedly swam across the sea near Gyodongdo, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, with styrofoam attached to their body. The military stated, "We plan to reward the personnel and unit who contributed to the operation," and added, "There were no unusual movements from the North Korean military."

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