Seoul: A North Korean soldier's bold attempt to defect by crossing the heavily guarded border with South Korea galvanised attention this week.

But perhaps more surprising was the disclosure by surgeons struggling to save his life of what they found while repairing his intestinal wounds: dozens of parasitic worms, some as long as 27 centimetres.

Dr Lee Cook-jong describes the parasites found inside the body of a North Korean soldier at Ajou University Medical Centre in Suwon, South Korea. Credit:AP

"In my 20 years as a surgeon, I have only seen something like this in a medical textbook," said Lee Cook-jong, a lead surgeon.

The discovery opened a window on the dire conditions in North Korea, including poor hygiene and nutrition. The news shocked many people in prosperous South Korea.