North Korean Defector Arrested After Attempting Return on Stolen Bus

The man, who fled to South Korea in 2011, was apprehended after crashing a stolen bus near the DMZ in a bid to return to his homeland.

The defector, in his 30s, stole the bus from a garage in Paju early Tuesday morning and was caught half an hour later.
He ignored soldiers' warnings and crashed the bus into a barricade on the Unification Bridge, which connects the two Koreas.
The man cited economic hardships and a desire to reunite with family as reasons for his attempted return.
South Korean authorities are considering charges of theft and violating national security laws against him.
Returning to North Korea is rare among defectors, with only 31 documented cases from 2012 to 2022.