A North Korean defector who struggled in South Korea stole a bus and tried to drive across the border, police say

By Yoonjung Seo, CNN

Seoul (CNN) — A North Korean defector who escaped to the South more than a decade ago was detained after attempting to cross back into North Korea on a stolen bus, police said.

The man drove about 800 meters on the Tongil Bridge, the last border checkpoint where civilians can go without a special permit, before ramming into barricades, South Korea’s Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police told CNN.

The area is heavily guarded by military forces due to its proximity to the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world.

Since moving to South Korea in 2011, the 35-year-old man had been working day-to-day jobs without a stable home.

He told police he missed his family back in North Korea.

“He’s been living alone in South Korea and was under economic difficulties,” police told CNN.

“However, he has failed to settle down in the South and has been missing his family in North Korea,” they said.

The man’s case is rare. More than 34,000 North Korean defectors have arrived in South Korea since fighting ended in the Korean War in 1953, according to official data.

In the past decade, roughly 30 have returned home.

Defectors and advocates say the fact that some North Korean defectors try to return home points to how difficult it can be for them to assimilate into South Korean society.

The defector, who has not been named by authorities, is being investigated for possible charges including vehicle theft, driving without a proper license, violation of military base protection, and National Security Law violation, police said.

CCTV footage released by local police showed a man wearing shorts and a hoodie wandering around parked buses. He is seen checking a couple of buses before the lights of one turn on. Shortly after, he drives the bus away.

This is not the first time a North Korean defector has attempted to cross the bridge to return to their home country, according to police.

In recent years, there have been at least three other similar failed attempts, though this is the first one involving a stolen bus.

In September 2021, a woman in her 60s tried to cross the same bridge on foot but was apprehended.

In August 2018, a man in his 30s drove a car across the bridge, passing checkpoints, but was apprehended by forces in the Joint Security Area – the section of the DMZ where North and South Korean forces stand face to face.

The man had previously crossed the border into North Korea via China but was returned by North Korean authorities.

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CNN’s Lex Harvey contributed reporting.