New Video Shows North Korean Defector’s Desperate Escape

Newly released footage of a North Korean defector’s daring escape last week shows North Korean guards violating an armistice agreement by firing across the military demarcation line, the United Nations Command said Wednesday. In a video released by the UNC, the North Korean defector is shown fleeing in a hail of bullets as several North Korean guards rush towards him at the demarcation line with South Korea. The guards can be seen firing across the border as he crosses, and one guard appeared to briefly cross the demarcation line before returning. The UNC told reporters Wednesday that it was seeking a meeting with North Korean officials over the incident. The video’s release comes after the U.S. on Tuesday slapped new sanctions on Pyongyang following President Trump’s announcement that he would designate the country a state sponsor of terror. The defector, who is currently receiving medical treatment in South Korea, is thought to be an army staff sergeant, according to Reuters. Upon his arrival, surgeons said they discovered “an enormous number” of parasitic worms in his intestines.