Latest news with #defector
News24
2 days ago
- Politics
- News24
South Korea rescues North Korea defector who swam across ocean border
South Korea detained a North Korean defector who swam across the sea border. Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare. South Korea and the US will conduct major joint military drills starting on 18 August. A North Korean defector who swam across a sea border with South Korea while reportedly tied to floating plastic has been rescued and taken into custody, Seoul authorities said on Thursday. The North Korean managed to swim across the de facto maritime border off the western coast of the Korean peninsula on the night of 30 July, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The border is known as the Northern Limit Line and has occasionally served as a route for North Korean defectors swimming to South Korea's Ganghwa Island. 'The military identified the individual near the north of the mid-river boundary,' a military official told reporters. The individual, who local media reported was tied to Styrofoam when he was found, waved for help and said he wanted to defect to South Korea when asked by a South Korean naval officer, the official said. The operation took about 10 hours, according to Seoul, and the individual was rescued at around 04:00 on 31 July (19:00 GMT 30 July). The North Korean is now in custody and has expressed their wish to defect, the defence ministry said. Kyodo News via Getty Images Ganghwa Island, located northwest of Seoul, is one of the closest South Korean territories to North Korea, with some parts of the surrounding sea lying just 10km from the maritime border between the two countries. Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to the South since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s, with most going overland to neighbouring China first, then entering a third country such as Thailand before finally making it to the South. Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare, as the area is densely forested, heavily mined and monitored by soldiers on both sides. But a North Korean man defected in July to the South by crossing the Military Demarcation Line. The number of successful escapes dropped significantly from 2020 after the North sealed its borders - purportedly with shoot-on-sight orders along the frontier with China - to prevent the spread of Covid-19. North Koreans are typically handed over to Seoul's intelligence agency for screening when they arrive in the South. Handout/South Korean Defence Ministry/AFP Reuters reported that South Korea and the US will conduct major joint military drills starting on 18 August, officials said, although they will delay parts of the annual exercises that have been a source of tension with North Korea to later in the year. The 11-day annual exercises, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, will be on a similar scale to 2024 but adjusted by rescheduling 20 out of 40 field training events to September, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun said. The allies agreed to reschedule some parts of the drill to next month over factors 'including ensuring training conditions during extreme heat and maintaining a balanced combined defence posture year-round', Lee said at a briefing. This year's drill will test an upgraded response to heightened North Korean nuclear threats as well as cutting-edge technologies used in modern wars, Lee said, citing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The exercise will include a scenario of a North Korean missile launch, but will not cover a potential nuclear test by Pyongyang, he said. The decision to spread out the scheduling included reasons such as extreme weather, Lee said, denying there were any political factors behind the move. The drills are due to be staged as the new South Korean government of President Lee Jae Myung seeks to improve strained ties with Pyongyang and revive stalled dialogue with its neighbour. A senior official from South Korea's Unification Ministry, which manages relations between the Koreas, said on Thursday that the delay in some training exercises was aimed at easing tensions with North Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
North Korean defector swims to South Korea, tied to plastic
North Korean defector who swam across a sea border with South Korea while reportedly tied to floating plastic has been rescued and taken into custody, according to Seoul authorities. The North Korean managed to swim across the de facto maritime border off the western coast of the Korean peninsula on the night of July 30, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Thursday. The border is known as the Northern Limit Line and has occasionally served as a route for North Korean defectors swimming to South Korea's Ganghwa Island. 'The military identified the individual near the north of the mid-river boundary,' a military official told reporters. The individual, whom local media reported was tied to styrofoam when he was found, waved for help and said he wanted to defect to South Korea when asked by a South Korean naval officer, the official said. The operation took about 10 hours, according to Seoul, and the individual was rescued at around 4am on last Thursday.
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
North Korean rescued after swimming across border: Seoul
SEOUL: A North Korean defector who swam across a sea border with South Korea while reportedly tied to a floating plastic has been rescued and taken into custody, Seoul authorities said on Thursday (Aug 7). The North Korean managed to swim across the de facto maritime border off the western coast of the Korean peninsula on the night of Jul 30, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The border is known as the Northern Limit Line and has occasionally served as a route for North Korean defectors swimming to South Korea's Ganghwa Island. "The military identified the individual near the north of the mid-river boundary," a military official told reporters. The individual, who local media reported was tied to styrofoam when he was found, waved for help and said he wanted to defect to South Korea when asked by a South Korean naval officer, the official said. The operation took about 10 hours, according to Seoul, and the individual was rescued at around 4am (3am, Singapore time) on Jul 31. The North Korean is now in custody and has expressed their wish to defect, the defence ministry said. Ganghwa Island, located northwest of Seoul, is one of the closest South Korean territories to North Korea, with some parts of the surrounding sea lying just 10km from the maritime border between the two countries. Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to the South since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s, with most going overland to neighbouring China first, then entering a third country such as Thailand before finally making it to the South. Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare, as the area is densely forested, heavily mined and monitored by soldiers on both sides. But a North Korean man defected last month to the South by crossing the Military Demarcation Line. The number of successful escapes dropped significantly from 2020 after the North sealed its borders - purportedly with shoot-on-sight orders along the frontier with China - to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
North Korean defector rescued after swimming across border: Seoul
A North Korean defector who swam across a sea border with South Korea while reportedly tied to floating plastic has been rescued and taken into custody, Seoul authorities said Thursday. The North Korean managed to swim across the de facto maritime border off the western coast of the Korean peninsula on the night of July 30, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The border is known as the Northern Limit Line and has occasionally served as a route for North Korean defectors swimming to South Korea's Ganghwa Island. 'The military identified the individual near the north of the mid-river boundary,' a military official told reporters. The individual, who local media reported was tied to Styrofoam when he was found, waved for help and said he wanted to defect to South Korea when asked by a South Korean naval officer, the official said. The operation took about 10 hours, according to Seoul, and the individual was rescued at around 4:00 am on July 31 (1900 GMT July 30). The North Korean is now in custody and has expressed their wish to defect, the defense ministry said. Ganghwa Island, located northwest of Seoul, is one of the closest South Korean territories to North Korea, with some parts of the surrounding sea lying just 10 kilometers (six miles) from the maritime border between the two countries. Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to the South since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s, with most going overland to neighboring China first, then entering a third country such as Thailand before finally making it to the South. Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare, as the area is densely forested, heavily mined and monitored by soldiers on both sides. But a North Korean man defected last month to the South by crossing the Military Demarcation Line. The number of successful escapes dropped significantly from 2020 after the North sealed its borders -- purportedly with shoot-on-sight orders along the frontier with China -- to prevent the spread of COVID-19. North Koreans are typically handed over to Seoul's intelligence agency for screening when they arrive in the South.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Nigel Farage unveils 'shoot chavs' ex-Tory as Reform's first Senedd member - and backs US chlorine chicken sales in UK on visit to Welsh farm show
Nigel Farage revealed Reform's first member of the Welsh Senedd today - a defector from the Conservatives who once said 'chavs' should be shot. Laura Anne Jones, 46, posed with the leader at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show today after ditching the Tories. She is the latest Welsh Tory to line up with Mr Farage, following former Welsh secretary David Jones. Ms Jones today said she Reform was now 'the only party that now represents decent hard-working people'. But it comes four years after she was forced to apologise for Facebook posts from around 2012 mocking working class voters. In posts from a period when she was not in office she said she 'would like to do a spot of Chav shooting', and said it was 'a shame that isn't legal.' When they were found in 2021 she said: 'I do not condone the use of violence in any form, and my flippant use of language was unacceptable and inappropriate, which I deeply regret. Mr Farage also risked annoying farmers at the show. While unveiling Ms Jones, he repeated his view that imports of US-reared chlorine-treated chicken should be allowed in Britain. But it comes four years after she was forced to apologise for Facebook posts mocking working class voters. He told reporters it should be up to consumers to make a choice. Announcing her defection, Ms Jones said: 'The Conservatives failed us when last in power, with letdown after letdown, and now Labour in Westminster are just like Labour in Wales, completely incompetent, with totally the wrong priorities and have become a joke that isn't funny. 'Reform is the only party that now represents decent hard-working people, with traditional, patriotic values. People who love their country and are as devastated as I am at the erosion of our beautiful country and its values, faith and traditions.' Welsh Conservative Leader Darren Millar said he was disappointed by her decision to defect, but added: 'We wish Laura all the very best in her new high tax and high spend party.'
