American detained trying to enter North Korea on same day soldier shot in daring escape to South
The demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas was the scene of an unusual amount of action on Monday as an American unsuccessfully tried to cross into the North and a North Korean soldier succeeded in defecting to the South
“Until this morning, we heard he had no consciousness and was unable to breathe on his own but his life can be saved,” said Suh Uk, a South Korean military official who was briefing lawmakers regarding Monday’s defection involving the North Korean soldier.
Five bullets had been extracted from the soldier’s body so far, leaving an estimated two inside, Suh said on Tuesday.
Lee Cook-jong, the surgeon in charge of the soldier’s treatment, told reporters earlier that his condition was critical due to intestinal damage caused by the bullets.
The soldier had sped towards the border in a vehicle when a wheel came loose, forcing him to escape on foot under fire from North Korean soldiers who shot around 40 rounds at him, Suh said.
North Korea’s military took action when the defector was spotted in the four wheel drive heading towards the border alone, Roh Jae-cheon, a spokesman for the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a media briefing on Tuesday.
