South Korea said the person who crossed the militarized border is a former North Korean defector

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The individual sighted crossing the eastern inter-Korean border into North Korea on Sunday is believed to be a North Korean defector who previously entered South Korea using the same route, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced on Sunday that an unnamed person was sighted entering the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which divides the two Koreas, at around 9:20 a.m. on Saturday, causing the military to conduct a failed search operation to apprehend the individual.

According to the JCS, the person crossed the Military Demarcation Line and defected to North Korea around 10:40 p.m.

"The officials believe the person is a defector from North Korea and are checking any relevant information," the ministry stated on Monday.

3 Jan 2022