A North Korean Defector Stole a Bus and Tried to Drive Across the Border, Police Say
A North Korean defector, who fled to South Korea over ten years ago, was apprehended after attempting to re-enter North Korea using a stolen bus. The individual traveled approximately 800 meters along the Tongil Bridge, the final border crossing point accessible to civilians without special authorization, before crashing into barricades, according to Korea’s Gyeonggi Bukbu Police. This region is heavily secured by military personnel due to its vicinity to the demilitarized zone, which delineates the two Koreas and is recognized as one of the most fortified borders globally.
Since relocating to South Korea in 2011, the 35-year-old has been engaged in various temporary jobs while lacking a permanent residence. He expressed to authorities that he longs for his family still in North Korea. “He has been living in isolation in South Korea and has faced financial hardships,” the police informed CNN. “Nonetheless, he has struggled to establish a stable life in the South and has been yearning for his relatives back in North Korea,” they added.
The situation of this defector is uncommon. Official statistics indicate that over 34,000 North Koreans have arrived in South Korea since the cessation of hostilities in the Korean War in 1953. However, only about 30 individuals have returned in the last decade. Defectors and advocates highlight that such attempts to return underscore the challenges many face in integrating into South Korean society.
The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed by the authorities, is currently under investigation for several potential offenses, including theft of a vehicle, operating a vehicle without a valid license, infringing military base security, and violating the National Security Law, as stated by the police. Surveillance footage released by local law enforcement depicted a man dressed in shorts and a hoodie lingering around parked buses. He was seen inspecting a few buses before activating the lights of one and subsequently driving it away.
This incident marks not the first occasion a North Korean defector has attempted to traverse the bridge back to their homeland, according to police reports. In recent years, there have been at least three similar unsuccessful attempts, although this is the first involving a stolen vehicle. On September 1, a woman in her sixties attempted to walk across the same bridge but was intercepted. Additionally, in August 2018, a man in his thirties drove a car over the bridge, successfully passing through checkpoints, before being captured by forces stationed in the Joint Security Area, the segment of the DMZ where North and South Korean troops confront each other. This man had previously made a crossing into North Korea via China but was sent back by North Korean authorities.
