A North Korean soldier crosses the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone and is secured by South Korean forces at the central front before being handed to South Korean intelligence for questioning.Direct crossings of the inner border remain rare because of persistent surveillance, minefields and rough terrain; most of the more than 34,000 North Koreans now living in South Korea reached the country via China or third countries, and 236 arrived in 2024, mostly women.South Korea grants citizenship and residency to vetted defectors, a guarantee President
Lee Jae Myung reiterated, and Seoul says it will accept North Korean prisoners of war who wish to remain in
Ukraine while opposing forced transfers to North Korea or
Russia.