A North Korean defector made headlines in South Korea after attempting to cross the heavily fortified border back into his country by stealing a bus. The man, in his 30s, stole the vehicle from a garage in Paju, a city near the border, and tried to drive across the Unification Bridge that separates the two Koreas. However, his attempt was unsuccessful as he crashed into a barricade, leading to his arrest.
The defector, who had escaped from North Korea around ten years ago, told the authorities that he was struggling to adapt to life in South Korea and expressed a desire to return to his homeland. Surveillance footage from the garage captured the man, wearing a hat, attempting to enter several vehicles before successfully gaining access to the bus. He drove off with the bus at 1 am local time.
Upon reaching the border, the defector disregarded warnings from soldiers to stop and instead veered into the opposite lane on the bridge. Military border guards intervened and apprehended him after the crash. Reports state that the man was not found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the incident.
Financial struggles seemed to have contributed to the defector’s decision, as he mentioned accumulating unpaid fines and expressed a wish to reunite with his family in North Korea. South Korea strictly prohibits unauthorized crossings into North Korea, with violators facing severe penalties including up to 10 years in prison. It is noteworthy that North Korean defectors in the South are granted citizenship automatically.
Despite the risks involved, cases of defectors attempting to return to North Korea are not unheard of. While a significant number of defectors escape from North Korea to South Korea annually, a smaller proportion, such as the latest defector, have endeavoured to go back to the North. According to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, between 2012 and 2022, only 31 defectors tried to return to North Korea, underscoring the challenges some face in adapting to life in South Korea.