North Korea Soldier Defections Reach Highest Rate This Century
- Thursday’s defection was fourth by a soldier this year
- A troop was shot last month as he ran toward South Korea
North Korea Crisis Continues to Escalate
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A second North Korean soldier in as many months fled across the heavily fortified land border separating the two Koreas, capping a year that has seen the most military defections this century from Kim Jong Un’s regime.
The low-ranking soldier crossed at around 8 a.m. Thursday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. South Korea’s military fired about 20 warning shots as North Korean guards chased the defector in thick fog, Yonhap News Agency reported.