SEOUL, Oct 19 — A North Korean soldier defected to the South today by crossing the heavily mined border separating the two Koreas, Seoul’s military said.

“Our military secured the custody of one North Korean soldier who crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) in the central front on Sunday,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

“The military identified the individual near the MDL, tracked and monitored him, and conducted a standard guidance operation to take him into custody,” it said. — AFP