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A Marine veteran says he tried to help North Koreans in Spain defect. Now he faces the threat of assassination

This is an updated version of a story first published on May 12, 2024. Chris Ahn: I don't even actually know the-- the number Cheollima's grand mission was to overthrow the North Korean dictatorship — one of the most repressive regimes in the world. Sharyn Alfonsi: At any point did you see anyone harm any members of the North Korean …

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Six North Korean border guards defect to China 'due to hunger and fatigue'

Life in North Korea’s military has become especially hard in recent months amid severe food shortages and a crackdown on smuggling following the closure of the border in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “Usually, border guards are in collusion with professional smugglers and merchants and they live better than soldiers in other regions”, RFA quoted a source in the North …

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North Korean man swims undetected for six hours across beefed up border to defect to South

South Korean troops failed to notice the defector who crossed the fortified border even though he showed up on CCTV cameras eight times Seoul: A North Korean defector wore a wet suit during a daring six-hour swim around one of the world’s most fortified borders, a Seoul official said, and was caught only after apparently falling asleep. South Korean forces …

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North Korean ambassador who vanished in Italy defected to South Korea, lawmakers say

A senior North Korean diplomat who vanished in Italy in late 2018 is living in South Korea under government protection, South Korean lawmakers said Wednesday. If confirmed, the disclosure would make Jo Song Gil, North Korea’s former acting ambassador to Italy, the highest-level North Korean official to defect to the south since the 1997 arrival of Hwang Jang-yop, a senior …

Kim Jong-un offers apology over killing of South Korean official; move expected to thaw Seoul’s anti-North sentiments

South Korea accused Pyongyang of fatally shooting its official who was likely trying to defect and burning his body after finding him in North Korean waters Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un apologised Friday over the killing of a South Korea official near the rivals’ disputed sea boundary, saying he’s “very sorry" about the “unexpected” and “unfortunate” incident, South …

North Korean Troops Fatally Shoot South Korean Man Believed Attempting To Defect

North Korean Troops Fatally Shoot South Korean Man Believed Attempting To Defect Enlarge this image toggle caption Choi Jin-suk/Newsis via AP Choi Jin-suk/Newsis via AP Updated at 8:45 a.m. South Korean media report the 47-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was working on a patrol boat keeping South Korean fishers from straying across the border and watching for …