North Korean Troops Violated Truce While Chasing Defector, U.N. Command Says
21, 2017
SEOUL, South Korea — Fully armed North Korean troops violated the truce
that halted the 1950-53 Korean War when they fired weapons across the border last week while chasing a fellow Communist soldier defecting to South Korea, the United Nations Command said on Wednesday.
The command also released closed-circuit television footage
that illustrated the North Korean’s dramatic defection through the Joint Security Area north of Seoul, the South Korean capital, on Nov. 13.
When the vehicle did not stop at a North Korean guard post
and drove into the North Korean side of the Joint Security Area, Communist troops wearing helmets and carrying sidearms and rifles poured out of their buildings.
Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, an American who leads the United Nations Command, said his troops had acted "in a manner
that is consistent with the armistice agreement, namely — to respect the demilitarized zone and to take actions that deter a resumption of hostilities." He added, "The armistice agreement was challenged, but it remains in place." North Korea has not yet commented on the defection.
Footage of the actual escape by a North Korean soldier into South Korea, as seen from South Korean side.
The American-led United Nations Command, which oversees the armistice, notified the North Korean People’s Army of its findings
and demanded a meeting to discuss ways to prevent future violations, the command said in a statement.