[News Today] NK CITIZEN DEFECTS TO S. KOREA

[LEAD]
Early yesterday, a North Korean citizen crossed the dry Han River estuary on foot to defect. South Korea's military says they were monitoring the situation in real-time. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik evaluated this as a 'successful operation' by the military.

[REPORT]
A North Korean citizen expressed his intention to defect to the South Korean military on Gyodongdo Island in Ganghwa-gun County, Incheon, in the early hours of Thursday.

Sources say the person crossed the inter-Korean border on foot in the neutral zone of the Hangang River during the low tide.

The neutral zone located to the north of Ganghwado Island spans 70km starting from the point where the Hangang and Imjinggang rivers join together before flowing into the West Sea.

During that time the South Korean military detected two North Koreans, but only one of them crossed into the South.

The military believes there were two North Koreans attempting defection at first, but one of them apparently didn't make it.

Kang Dae-sik / Nat'l Defense Committee (PPP)
Is it true that two unidentified N. Koreans attempted to defect to the South?

Shin Won-sik / Minister of Defense
The relevant authorities are investigating the matter now.

A military source says the situation was monitored in real time using a thermal observation device and the defection process was induced secretly using signals without firing any warning shots or making announcements.

Shin Won-sik / Minister of Defense
We monitored the defection process from the start and the operation ended successfully.

Authorities are investigating the North Korean person on the reason for defection as well as how it was planned, the possibility of espionage, and if the defector was accompanied by anyone else.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff says no unusual movement has been detected in the North Korean army so far.