North Korean Man Clinging to Styrofoam Swims South

The defection took place on the night of July 30-31 in the Han River estuary, which marks the border in western Korea, near Ganghwa Island, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The island is, in some places, less than 2 kilometers from the North Korean bank of the estuary. "The military identified the individual near the border in the middle of the river," an army official told reporters.

According to South Korean media, the defector, clinging to pieces of polystyrene as a lifeline, signaled to the military for help. An officer then called out to him, "We are the Republic of Korea Navy. Do you want to defect to South Korea?" and received an affirmative response.

The delicate rescue operation lasted about ten hours and ended around 4 a.m. on July 31 (7 p.m. GMT on July 30). According to the Defense Ministry, the defector later confirmed his intention to defect.

Direct defections across the heavily patrolled and mined inter-Korean border are rare. Most North Korean refugees arriving in South Korea pass through China and then one or more other third countries such as Laos, Thailand, or Mongolia.