South Korean officials say a North Korean soldier has defected by walking across the heavily-guarded demilitarized zone dividing the two long-time enemies.
A South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman said a soldier in his late teens surrendered himself at a remote guard post in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province in the central part of the peninsula. The spokesman had no further details except to say that the soldier is under investigation.
The Yonhap news agency reported that the incident raised tensions on both sides of the border, but there was no conflict.
Most North Koreans defecting to the South do so via third countries, first crossing into China and then traveling to countries in Southeast Asia.
