Thursday's defection happened at a much more remote section of the 4 kilometer (2.5 mile)-wide, 248-kilometer (155-mile) -long Demilitarized Zone, which serves as the border between the Koreas. When the defecting soldier — reportedly a 19-year-old — arrived at a front-line South Korean guard post, there was no shooting from the North, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Spokesman Roh Jae-cheon said the motive for the defection is under investigation.
Later Thursday, however, South Korea's military detected several North Korean soldiers approaching the line between the countries in the DMZ, prompting the South to broadcast a warning and fire 20 warning shots, said a South Korean defense official, requesting anonymity because of department rules. Sky more