By This is still something that is relatively rare considering the amount of North Koreans that serve along the border:
A North Korean soldier defected to the South across the heavily militarized border separating the two on Tuesday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing a government source.
The soldier crossed into the eastern province of Gangwon on Tuesday evening and expressed a wish to defect, the unidentified source said.
The circumstances of the reported defection were being investigated. [Fox News]
I wouldn’t want to be a relative of this guy back in North Korea right now.
It is the sad reality. No mistake...
9:14 am on March 3rd, 2010 1
I recently finished reading Barbara Demick’s “Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea”. It appears punishing left behind family members has lessened. There was one girl in the book who went into China with all her family members except two sisters around 2001. She found out the sisters were sent to the labor camps where peopple don’t leave and died. Those who defected after that time saw their family members remaining in DPRK just loose status. Many were even able to defect themselves! Perhaps there are just too many NKs cutting a chogi to keep up standards. Of course, the guy in this article is special.
BTW, I highly recommend the book I note above!
10:03 am on March 3rd, 2010 2
Maybe he doesn't have any relatives left in NK. I somewhat hope so.
12:30 pm on March 3rd, 2010 3
Isn't there something like 150 000 North Koreans hiding in China? A great deal of North Koreans have relatives who defected, so much so that North Korea probably can't afford to put them all in jail (which probably allows North Korean officials to accept bribes to look the other way with minimal risk).
3:58 pm on March 3rd, 2010 4
“…the amount of North Koreans WHO serve along the border”