The North Korean army violated the terms of the 1953 UN Armistice Agreement when it tried to stop one of its soldiers defecting to the South, the United Nations Command said Wednesday.

Soldiers fired about 40 rounds across the military demarcation line that divides the two Koreas, with one soldier even crossing the line, Colonel Chad G. Carroll, a spokesman for the UN Command, told reporters.

The UNC has "requested a meeting (with North Korea) to discuss our investigation and measures to prevent future such violations," Carroll said.

The soldier sped towards the border in a military jeep

What can be seen in the video of the escape?

A video released by the UNC in Seoul showed the dramatic dash for freedom at the Panmunjom truce village, the only part of the border where forces from the two sides come face-to-face.

The video shows a military vehicle speeding towards the border before seeming to get bogged down

The driver disembarks and runs in the direction of the Southern side of the border

Several North Korean soldiers then run towards the abandoned vehicle and open fire, hitting the escapee five or six times

Three South Korean troops, including the deputy commander of the border security unit, are then seen crawling to drag him to safety

Surprisingly, North and South Korean soldiers did not exchange fire.

This was the first shooting in the area in three decades and occurred as tensions between the US and North Korea run high after a series of missile and nuclear tests aimed at deploying an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities.

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South Korea and US soldiers stand guard at Panmunjom

What condition is the soldier in?

The soldier was flown by a US military helicopter to a hospital in Suwon, south of the capital Seoul. After two operations to extract the bullets, doctors said on Wednesday that his breathing is now stable and unassisted.

"He is fine," lead surgeon Lee Cook-Jong said at a press conference. "He is not going to die."

"As the patient is showing signs of depression due to intense psychological stress following two rounds of major surgeries, he will undergo tests for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The reason that he defected, risking death and facing a barrage of gunshots, was because he had positive hopes about South Korea."

The hospital said in a statement that the patient requires intensive care, detailed tests and observation as there is a chance his condition may worsen due to infections of his bullet wounds. A serious case of parasites have also complicated his treatment.

The soldier is 1.7 meters (5 feet, 7 inches) tall but weighs just 60 kilograms (132 pounds), the hospital said.

Lee said he has had extensive conversation with the North Korean man who had told him he defected to the South of his own free will.

No escape from North Korea No best friends forever Although China and North Korea have maintained close diplomatic relations in the past, the relationship has declined in recent years. Unprecedented border controls on the south of the Jilin Province in China reflect the atmosphere: Apart from passports, travelers must hand in all their devices and luggage for an exhaustive, lengthy inspection.

No escape from North Korea Bridge over troubled water Despite all the restrictions, a viable connection to China is vital for North Korea. A new bridge over the Yalu river, which divides the two countries, is supposed to replace the derelict Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge that covers 70 percent of all bilateral trade. Construction on the North Korean side has stopped due to lack of finance in spite of Chinese private investments.

No escape from North Korea Sitting on the fence North Hamgyong Province, which borders with Russia and China, was hit by massive flooding last year that damaged or washed away barbed wire fences that prevent North Koreans from defecting or smuggling goods. It did not take long for the local administration to start building new fences and deploying guards to the border areas who are under orders to shoot any possible defectors on site.

No escape from North Korea Home, sweet home The number of North Korean defectors has been decreasing for several years in a row, but it is still a sensitive subject for the regime. The photo above shows a South Korean television celebrity Lim Ji Hyun (Jeon Hye Song by her real name) who returned to North Korea under suspicious circumstances and made a public statement in July on the local propaganda TV channel about the "hell in the South."

No escape from North Korea Catch me if you can Many North Korean defectors return to their country after their families are detained or blackmailed. Following a recent report, the regime has dispatched agents to border regions in China to locate and kidnap defectors. The abduction teams stay in the Jiangbin International Hotel and Life's Business Hotel in Dandong, the release stated.

No escape from North Korea An amusement park gone wrong Even though it is impossible for its inhabitants to leave North Korea, the country invites foreign tourists to discover the many attractions of the country. The official North Korean travel agency even launched its international website in August, offering trips to various parts of North Korea and even theme tours focused on architecture, biking, sports or - as cynically as it sounds - labor. Author: Jan Tomes



No comment from the North

North Korea hasn't responded and its official media has not reported on the case.

The North has in the past accused South Korea of kidnapping or enticing North Koreans to defect.

About 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea, mostly via China, since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

jbh/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters)