North Korean soldier defects to South Korea amid peace efforts

Jung Yeon-Je/Reuters

South Korean and US soldiers stand guard at the truce village of Panmunjom, July 2017.

• A North Korean soldier reportedly defected to South Korea at around 7:56 a.m. local time on Saturday.
• The South Korean military spotted the suspected defector crossing the military demarcation line the separates the border.
• Authorities are investigating.

A North Korean soldier reportedly defected to South Korea at around 7:56 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to South Korean news reports.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military detected the defector crossing the military demarcation line separating the border, according to Yonhap News.

"Related agencies plan to investigate him regarding the details of how he came to the South," the Joint Chiefs said in a message.

The Joint Chief's added that there were no "unusual" North Korean troops movements in the neighboring area following the incident.

The incident marks the first military defection from North Korea since the two countries agreed to take several steps to lower tensions. In October, both countries agreed to withdraw firearms, dismantle guard posts at the border, and share surveillance information.

Another North Korean soldier defected to South Korea, under a hail of gunfire, across the military demarcation line in November 2017.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.