RoK troops failed to track the presumed defector as he moved through the ‘Z, again highlighting weaknesses in UNC/RoK capabilities. “Defence officials in Seoul had pledged to overhaul the border defence system after similar breaches in the past.”
Aside from the ignorance and/or desperation usually indicated by defecting north, this line crosser had to face North Korean border troops with “shoot to kill” orders, ostensibly based on COVID fears.
There’s no detail yet on the motivation and background of the defector and whether he survived his effort to reach the North.
Read previously classified records on American troops who defected to North Korea.
Source: South Korean crosses DMZ in rare defection to North Korea – BBC News