North Korean soldier shot while defecting to the South in critical condition

South Korean soldiers stand watch at the demilitarized zone.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A North Korean soldier who was shot multiple times as he defected to South Korea is in critical condition but is expected to survive, the South Korean government said Tuesday.

On Monday, the soldier was driving in a vehicle alone when he started to speed toward the border, South Korean military official Suh Uk said. A wheel came off the vehicle, and he had to jump out and run to the border. North Korean soldiers fired about 40 rounds at him, and he ended up taking cover behind a South Korean structure inside the demilitarized zone. He was ultimately saved by South Korean and U.S. soldiers, who brought him over the border.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.