Koreans swim for hours and flee to South Korea undetected | World



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South Korean media and opposition lawmakers have harshly criticized the failure of South Korean border guards to detect the young man in his 20s, although he has appeared on security cameras (CCTV) several times. last week., Yonhap news agency on February 24 quoted an official from the Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The Korean defector swam across the line separating the two Koreas, reaching the northern city of Goseong on the east coast of South Korea.

“He probably swam for about 6 hours, wearing a life jacket under his diving suit to keep his body warm and a swimming propeller. The tidal currents were beneficial for swimming and he removed all his gear before going through a drainage channel. under a chain link fence that runs along the coast, ”added the JCS official.

For 3 hours, CCTV captured the image of the North Korean defector 8 times and the alarm sounded twice, but the border guards did not notice.

Finally, border guards conducted a search and it was not until 3 hours later that the young Korean appeared to be sleeping with his mask hanging from the tree.

South Korean officials said the fugitive was a commoner and had expressed a desire to go to Korea.

The South Korean military admits that border guards have not strictly followed the rules and is committed to strengthening border security.

In testimony before parliament on February 23, South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook admitted that front-line surveillance systems were “malfunctioning and outdated.”

Only a few defectors dare to cross the line and most flee to neighboring China, sometimes staying there for many years before reaching third countries before reaching Korea.
More than 30,000 Koreans have fled to the South for decades, but the number has plummeted to just 229 in 2020 after Pyongyang closed its border with China to the Covid-19 room.




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