Early this morning, a North Korean soldier defected to South Korea near the Army's 22nd Division in Goseong County, Gangwon Province.

A North Korean soldier defected to the South, crossing through Goseong County in Gangwon Province on the east coast.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had verified the defector's identity who crossed the eastern part of the Korean peninsula and handed him over to the relevant authorities.

The defector, a male in his twenties identified as a staff sergeant, reportedly expressed his intention to defect.

South Korean military and relevant agencies are currently investigating the process by which the North Korean soldier crossed the border into the South. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that no unusual movements from the North Korean military have been detected so far.

A military official explained, "We detected the individual using our surveillance equipment north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and carried out a standard operation to secure the defector."

Earlier this month, a North Korean resident defected to the South on the West Coast. 

Early this morning, a North Korean soldier defected to South Korea near the Army's 22nd D …

Another North Korean Defects to the South