Another South Korean Army member fleeing to North Korea? The reality of the ２２nd Infantry Division, which is in charge of sloppy border security.

Photo by 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Did South Korean soldiers flee to North Korea?

On January １st of the new year, an unidentified person climbed over the iron fence from the South Korean side and entered the North Korean side, leading to the attack on South Korean troops including the ２２nd Infantry Division of the South Korean Army on the Eastern Front in the area where this incident occurred. The Army is on emergency alert.

The ２２nd Infantry Division, a unit located on this border, has caused various problems in the past. In June １９８４, there was another incident involving a large firearm that resulted in ２３ casualties.

In June ２００４, a private on duty at battalion headquarters left his post with a firearm and １５ rounds of live ammunition and was captured eight hours later.

In October ２００８, a private second class on guard duty committed suicide with a rifle.

On March ２８, ２０１２, a soldier was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head.

In ２００５, two reserve sergeants and others were arrested a month later after seizing two K-２ rifles, six grenades, and ７,０００ live rounds.

In ２００５, a vessel believed to be a fishing boat headed for North Korea, and in October ２００９, it was revealed that civilians had cut through iron fences and headed north.

In ２０１２, the so-called "knock defection incident" caused a stir in society. On October ２, ２０１２, North Korean soldiers crossed the border and knocked on the door of the living quarters, asking for asylum, but it turned out that the troops were unaware of the fact that the iron fence had been cut until then, and two generals Two territorial officers were reprimanded.

The terrain is also difficult. The front boundary stretches for tens of kilometers, surrounded by rugged mountain ranges.

``Many soldiers are said to suffer from knee pain because the iron fence border line is very steep and goes up and down.As a result, guard duty is more difficult than in other divisions.This is also the reason why defections and incidents of North Korea are so common.