Overview

• South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the soldier crossed the Military Demarcation Line on the central front on Sunday and is in custody.
• A defence ministry official said he sought to defect, and the JCS reported no unusual North Korean military movements.
• Troops identified, tracked and monitored the individual before carrying out a standard guidance operation to secure him.
• Relevant authorities will examine the motive and method of the crossing, with customary intelligence screening expected.
• It is the first known soldier defection since President Lee Jae Myung took office, with DMZ crossings rare compared with routes through China.