Wrapped in plastic foil North Korean swims ten hours to freedom - despite being ordered to shoot
An escape as dangerous as it was spectacular: a North Korean escaped across the sea - despite being ordered to shoot at the border. He braved the cold and swam for ten hours in icy waters.
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- A North Korean escaped across the sea to South Korea despite being ordered to shoot.
- The fugitive swam for around ten hours through freezing water with improvised swimming aids wrapped in plastic sheeting and was apprehended south of the border.
- The route is notorious for torrential currents, icy temperatures and strict military surveillance.
- Anyone discovered trying to escape faces harsh penalties - in many cases even death.
A North Korean has made a spectacular escape to South Korea - despite being in mortal danger. According to South Korean authorities, he escaped from North Korean border guards who had orders to shoot on sight. Using improvised plastic swimming aids and wrapped in plastic sheeting, the man kept his head above water and swam for around ten hours along the west coast of the Korean peninsula before reaching South Korean territory.
The case caused a stir because the sea route at this point is considered particularly dangerous due to strong currents, low water temperatures and military surveillance.
The man - whose identity is not known - was first spotted on July 30. He waved to South Korean soldiers and declared his intention to cross.
He was finally picked up by the South Korean army around two and a half kilometers south of the North Korean border. The news of his escape became public on August 7 - initially reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Escapees are even punished with death
Escapes from North to South Korea have become rarer since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tightened border security. Most conventional routes are closed, and those who are caught trying to escape face harsh penalties or death.
In recent years, determined refugees have resorted to risky methods, including crossing in small boats or swimming through dangerous coastal waters. The use of smugglers to reach China has also decreased due to increased surveillance.
This latest escape is not the first of its kind. Another North Korean defector swam through the same coastal region back in 2024. This area is now considered one of the few remaining, albeit dangerous, escape routes.
In a separate but related incident, North Korea has refused to claim the body of a 36-year-old North Korean farmer whose body washed up in the same coastal region. South Korean officials have not disclosed how the man died, but stated that he will be cremated after a formal burial.
According to the Journal, it is not uncommon for bodies to wash up in South Korea from North Korea. The two countries share several waterways, and North Korea is particularly prone to flash floods and deadly landslides in the summer. The refusal to address the farmer's case underscores the ongoing diplomatic ice age between North and South Korea.
Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has promised a less confrontational approach towards Pyongyang. As reported by "Straight Arrow News", Lee had loudspeakers at the border that broadcast K-pop and pro-South Korean messages removed - a symbolic step towards easing tensions.
Pyongyang rejected this move and declared that relations were now irreparable.
