Korean defector shot at border

A NORTH Korean soldier was shot by his comrades while escaping to the South.

Despite taking bullets to his shoulder and elbow, the defector made it from the northern side of Panmunjom in the heavily-defended border zone to the southern side of the village.

He was found and taken to hospital by South Korean troops who had heard gunfire, said military officials in Seoul yesterday. It is not known why he escaped or how badly injured he was.

Around 30,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 war between the two countries but most travel through China.

The incident comes at a time of high tension between the neighbours.