North Korean soldier escapes to South amid hail of bullets

A SOLDIER from North Korea made a rare successful escape across the heavily fortified border with the South yesterday, on the same day a US national was detained as he attempted to enter the North.

The North Korean guard stationed within the Joint Security Area (JSA) fled across the border into the South in the early hours. He was shot in the shoulder and elbow by fellow guards.

The soldier was airlifted by a United Nations helicopter to a hospital but his injuries were not believed to be lifethreatening.

The injured soldier was found by South Korean troops on the South’s side of the frontier after several bursts of gunfire.

He was unarmed and wearing the combat fatigues of a low-ranking soldier. He has not yet been named.

Five hours later, a US citizen, reported to be 58 and from Louisiana, attempted to cross into North Korea shortly before 10am local time.

The man told South Korean police that he crossed the Civilian Control Line in Yeoncheon, just south of the frontier, into a zone out of bounds to non-military personnel to enter North Korea for “political purposes”.

♦ American troops would be vastly outnumbered by North Korea if a land war broke out in the region, the former deputy of US forces in Korea has warned. Lt-gen Jan-marc Jouas said in a letter sent to congressmen: “The 28,500 US armed forces personnel in South Korea are vastly outnumbered by North Korean forces [with 1.2million troops]. Unlike every conflict since the last Korean War, we will not be able to build up our forces prior to the start of hostilities.”