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A man who fled North Korea through the DMZ into South Korea says he is a former gymnast who jumped a 3-meter (9.8-foot) hurdle using his athletic prowess.
The man, apparently in his early 20s, had to jump in to prove his story to southern officials, local media reported.
The DMZ stretches from coast to coast on the Korean peninsula. It is about 4 km wide and heavily mined, with barbed wire fences and armed guards patrolling both north and south.
The defector is said to have been first seen on November 2 on the North Korean side, then was seen climbing a barbed wire fence to the south a day later.
He was captured shortly after and is being held by South Korea. It is reported that he claims to be a civilian seeking to defect.
It is being investigated why the alarms did not go off while the man was crossing.
More than 32,000 people have defected from the oppressive North Korean regime since 1948.
The most common exit point is across the northern border with China, while others cross into South Korea by boats. Crossing the DMZ is rare.
