A North Korean defector who escaped to South Korea more than a decade ago was detained after trying to cross back into North Korea on a stolen bus, police reported. The 35-year-old man drove about 800 meters on the Tongil Bridge, the last border checkpoint without a special permit, before crashing into barricades.
The Tongil Bridge area is heavily guarded by military forces due to its proximity to the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, making it one of the most fortified borders globally. Since moving to South Korea in 2011, the man had been working various day-to-day jobs without a stable home.
Police mentioned that the man expressed missing his family in North Korea and cited economic difficulties and struggles to settle down in South Korea as reasons for his actions. This case is rare, as over 34,000 North Korean defectors have arrived in South Korea since the Korean War ended in 1953, with only around 30 returning home in the past decade.
Defectors and advocates highlight the challenges faced by North Korean defectors in assimilating into South Korean society, with some attempting to return home. The man is under investigation for possible charges including vehicle theft, driving without a license, violation of military base protection, and National Security Law violation.
CCTV footage released by local police showed the man wandering around parked buses before driving one away. This incident is not the first attempt by a North Korean defector to cross the bridge back to North Korea, with at least three similar failed attempts in recent years.
In September 2021, a woman in her 60s tried to cross the same bridge on foot but was caught. In August 2018, a man in his 30s drove a car across the bridge and was apprehended by forces in the Joint Security Area. The man had previously crossed into North Korea via China but was returned by North Korean authorities.
