A North Korean soldier who staged a dramatic escape to South Korea may potentially have useful insights about dictator Kim Jong Un's administration.

The individual reportedly drove a vehicle near the military demarcation line — the border separating both Koreas — on Monday and proceeded to run towards the South Korean side, attracting a hail of gunfire from North Korean guards.

The man, who is currently on life-support at a hospital near Seoul, could have been a driver for a high-level North Korean official, the Chosun Ilbo, a major South Korean newspaper, reported on Thursday.