by KEVIN KNODELL

On the morning of Dec. 27, a North Korean soldier fleeing his country crossed into China … and went on a violent rampage.

He raided the homes of several villagers and killed four people—including an ethnic Korean couple—and stole food and cash. By nightfall, Chinese authorities tracked down the culprit and shot him in the stomach.

The deserter survived and is in a Chinese hospital. Beijing confirmed the incident on Jan. 5 and expressed deep displeasure with North Korean authorities.

Border incidents like this are rare. It appears that Communist Party officials intend for the killer to face justice in China—and will not repatriate the young soldier.

The killings also come at a bad time for North Korea. Chinese officials are increasingly at odds whether to continue propping up Pyongyang.

The sheer amount of refugees fleeing to China is one factor in the deterioration of the Chinese-North Korean relationship. The unhappy marriage has gotten so bad, Chinese state-owned newspapers are openly debating whether to cut ties.

“If an administration isn’t supported by the people, ‘collapse’ is just a matter of time,” Lt. Gen. Wang Hongguang wrote in Global Times.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has alienated many Chinese officials by pressing ahead with a nuclear weapons program. In 2013, Kim executed his uncle, Jang Sung Taek, who had a friendly relationship with China’s leaders.

Both governments have also boosted security along the border—a sign of mutual unease at the flow of human beings north. Every year, untold numbers of North Koreans make the dangerous journey to northeast China.

They do so to escape the most terrifyingly oppressive regime on the planet—and they’ll face almost any peril along the way.

Refugees risk encountering North Korean soldiers, drowning in rivers or exploitation by criminals. If they succeed, they risk perhaps the worst fate—deportation back to North Korea.