North Korean defects over maritime border in Yellow Sea

A North Korean defector crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border in Yellow Sea, South Korea's military said Thursday.

Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik, center, speaks during a parliamentary defense committee meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, Thursday. [NEWS1]

A North Korean defector crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea, South Korea's military said Thursday.

According to multiple military sources, the North Korean man crossed the neutral waters between the two Koreas and arrived at Gyodong Island in the Yellow Sea, located within the civilian access control line, and expressed his intention to defect to South Korea.

When asked by a lawmaker on the defection, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said in a parliamentary defense committee meeting Thursday that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and related agencies are "currently investigating" the incident.

"We have received a preliminary report, but due to the law, we cannot speak on the details," Shin added.

The North Korean defector was said to have crossed over the neutral zone of the Han River estuary by foot because of low tide, according to a Seoul military official.

The South Korean military initially detected two people, leading to speculation that there had been another defector who may have failed to cross the border.

The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement Thursday that relevant authorities are investigating the details of the defection, without providing further details.

The JCS said it has not detected any significant movements by the North Korean military so far.

Sources say that the defector has been handed over to the NIS for questioning on his motive for defection and intentions.

It has been around 15 months since the last North Korean defection across the Yellow Sea maritime border was confirmed by South Korean authorities.

In May 2023, a North Korean family of nine people boarded a wooden boat and defected across the NLL in the Yellow Sea.

Another group of North Koreans defected on Oct. 24 last year. At that time, three women and one man crossed the NLL in the East Sea on a small boat.

Update, Aug. 8: Further details of defection added throughout story

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]