A North Korean defector attempted to drive back to his home country after stealing a bus, saying that life in South Korea was too difficult.
The incident occurred around 1.30am on 1 Oct in Paju, South Korea, where the man attempted to drive across the Unification Bridge towards North Korea.
According to SBS News, the man stole a village bus parked at a local garage, where the keys had been left in the ignition.
He drove the vehicle towards the Unification Bridge, which connects South Korea to the North but is restricted to civilian access at the northern end.
Source: SBS News
Despite guards attempting to stop him, the man rammed into a barricade at the bridge and was arrested by authorities, reported Yonhap News.
The police identified the man as a North Korean defector who had escaped about 10 years ago and had been living in Sillim-dong, Seoul.
When questioned, the man, in his 30s, said he found life in South Korea challenging, prompting his desire to return.
“I want to go back to North Korea,” he was reported saying.
Authorities tested him for drugs and alcohol, but the results were negative.
He is now being investigated for theft and other criminal offences.
North Korean defectors seeking to return home is not uncommon. In Jan 2022, Guardian reported on a defector, Kim Woo-joo, who went back to North Korea just a year after he fled.
“The fact that some North Korean defectors are willing to return to one of the world’s most politically isolated countries only highlights how challenging life can be in the South for North Koreans,” said CNN.
Also read: North Korea flies balloons with excrement into South Korea as ‘gifts of sincerity’
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Featured image adapted from SBS News.
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