A North Korean fugitive living in South Korea has been detained after he crashed a stolen bus into a barricade on a bridge near the heavily militarized border in an apparent attempt to return to North Korea, according to " Reuters" and "Yonhap" agency, quoted by News.bg.
The incident happened around 1:30 a.m. local time on the Tongil Bridge in Paju, northwest of the capital Seoul. The man ignored the warnings of the soldiers guarding the bridge and tried to cross it.
The man, aged around 30, fled his homeland more than a decade ago. He explained to the police that he wanted to return to North Korea after failing to settle in South Korea.
It is extremely unusual for North Koreans who have fled their isolated country to try to return, although many have difficulty adjusting to life in the democratic and capitalist South.
As of June, some 34,200 North Koreans had settled in South Korea, mostly after arduous, sometimes life-threatening journeys, usually through China, to escape poverty and oppression in their homeland.
South Korea's Unification Ministry, which deals with cross-border issues and provides support for refugee resettlement, said in 2022 that about 30 defectors had been confirmed to have returned to the North since 2012. However, according to activists, there may be many more unreported cases.
In early 2022, a fugitive in his 30s made a rare, risky return to North Korea across the heavily fortified border after failing to adapt to life in the South. The case ignited a debate about how such fugitives are treated in their new homeland.