North Korea: area where soldier escaped being fortified

North Korea has fortified the border with the South, as what appears to be the location where a defector attempted to make his sweet escape.

A photograph posted on Twitter, by the US ambassador to the South, Marc Knapper, showed civilian workers, being watched by Pyongyang soldiers, digging a deep trench at the exact point where the defector abandoned his truck and ran across the demarcation line on 13 November.

Was at JSA today, the North Koreans have planted two trees and are digging a trench at the spot where their soldier crossed the MDL. https://t.co/dJJoX0LDlv

— Marc Knapper (@MarcKnapper) November 22, 2017

Security camera footage which was released by the UN command just last week showed the soldier, who is known only by his surname Oh, get out of the vehicle after running it into a shallow ditch.

He ran across the border in a joint security area (JSA) as his five compatriots shot at him from behind.

He was shot five times, collapsed in a pile of leaves near the wall and was then dragged to safety by South Korean forces.

Oh is currently in stable condition, after undergoing surgery to treat his wounds and remove parasitic worms, according to a surgeon at the Ajou University hospital of Seoul, Lee Cook-jong.

The defection is a major propaganda coup for the South. Any attempt to flee the North via the 4km wide demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the countries is rare and that it involved a North Korea soldier is especially embarrassing for the North’s regime.

Though the country has not commented publicly on the defection, it appears to have taken action against the border guards, who allowed the soldier to slip across the line, in the border village of Panmunjom.

Witnesses noted that different guards were on duty after the incident, though it wasn’t clear what had become of those who were present during the defection.

There are usually 35-40 guards on duty at the JSA, which is jointly run by the US-led UN command on the southern side and North Korea.

According to Japanese media, there were unconfirmed reports that the top military official at the North Korean representative’s office at Panmunjom had been recalled to Pyongyang for questioning about the defection.

The North also erected a gate on the bridge the soldier used during his high-speed drive towards the JSA, according to the Korea Times, citing an unnamed intelligence source. The regime went on to place more machine guns in the area.

The bridge was temporarily closed while the new checkpoint was put in place, in an apparent attempt to monitor soldiers coming in and out of the JSA and avoid further military defections.

South Korea and its allies have sought to exploit the defection. Gen Vincent K Brooks, commander of the UN command, awarded army commendation medals to six South Korean and US soldiers for their role in the operation to rescue Oh.

They include the three soldiers who went to his aid as he lay injured, according to the US Forces Korea Facebook page.

South Korea’s military broadcast news of the defection across the border via loudspeakers located along the heavily armed DMZ. The broadcasts, which can be heard as far as 20km from the border, give details of the defector’s condition and also refer to the poor health of soldiers in the North.

South Korean military officials will question Oh as soon as he has recovered from his injuries. A decision has yet to be taken on who will foot his medical bills, which are expected to exceed 100 million won (US$92,000).