North Korean soldiers dig a trench in the area where a defector ran across the border at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing North Korea and South Korea on Tuesday. Photo: ReutersSeoul: North Korea has reportedly replaced guards and fortified a section of its border with South Korea where a North Korean soldier staged a daring defection last week, while South Korean and US soldiers have been decorated for their role in his rescue. The North Korean defector was shot and wounded by his fellow soldiers as he dashed into the South Korean side of the Joint Security Area (JSA) last week. “We’re closely monitoring the North Korean military’s movement in the JSA,” a South Korean defence ministry official told reporters, without confirming the reduction in border guards. Meanwhile, in South Korea, US Forces Korea (USFK) said it had awarded its own JSA soldiers—three South Korean and three US soliders—the Army Commendation medal in recognition for their efforts in rescuing the defector.

Source: Mint November 24, 2017 06:22 UTC