A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Monday, and was shot by other North Korean troops in the process.
The soldier ran from his guard post in the border Panmunjom village over to the South Korean side, and was found shot in the shoulder and elbow, the Associated Press reports. The unidentified soldier was transported to a hospital in South Korea for his wounds.
Nobody fired back at the North Korean troops.
It is currently unknown what prompted the soldier to risk his life by defecting.
North Korean soldiers have occasionally defected to South Korea across the border, but it is rare in the Joint Security Area. Panmunjom and the surrounding DMZ is jointly controlled by the American-led United Nations Command and North Korea. South Korean and American troops face the North, and North Korean soldiers often use binoculars to monitor visitors from the South. The two sides stand literally feet apart from one another.
President Donald Trump, who is currently on a tour of Asia, attempted to visit the DMZ last week, but the trip was canceled as a result of poor weather.
