South Korea says North Korean soldiers crossed heavily armed border to hunt for defector
By APWednesday, March 3, 2010
SKorea: NKorea crossed border to hunt for defector
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s military says several North Korean soldiers crossed the border into the South this week, apparently to pursue a defecting soldier.
Military spokesman Park Sung-woo said Thursday the North Korean soldiers crossed the border about an hour after a fellow soldier fled to the South on Tuesday. He says they retreated after South Korean soldiers fired warning shots.
Park says North Korean soldiers did not return fire.
He says the defector is being questioned.
More than 18,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War. They rarely cross the heavily armed border and instead defect via China and other countries.
The last soldiers to defect were in 2008.
