North Korean defector escapes, wrapped in foam and swimming for 10 hours

A North Korean defector pulled off a death-defying escape to South Korea, evading border guards with orders to shoot on sight. He used plastic foam to stay afloat during a grueling 10-hour swim down the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, as revealed by South Korean authorities.

South Korean officials announced that the man, whose identity has not been released, was first spotted on July 30, waving his hands and declaring his intent to defect. He was subsequently taken in by South Korea’s military about a mile and a half south of the North Korean border. The news of the man’s defection was announced on Thursday, Aug. 7, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

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A rare escape under tightening security 

Successful defections from the North to the South have become increasingly rare following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s ramped-up security and additional fortifications along the border. Most conventional routes have been shut down, and those caught attempting to flee face harsh punishment or death. 

In recent years, the more determined escapees have resorted to high-risk methods — including crossing via small boats or swimming through dangerous coastal waters. The use of traffickers to cross into China has also declined amid increased surveillance. 

This recent escape is not the first of its kind. Another North Korean defector swam across the same coastal region in 2024.  That area of the peninsula is now seen as one of the few remaining — albeit dangerous — corridors for potential escape.

North Korea refuses to claim deceased citizen

In a separate but related development, North Korea has refused to claim the body of a 36-year-old North Korean farmer whose corpse washed ashore in the same coastal area. South Korean officials have not revealed how the man died, but said he will be cremated after a formal funeral. 

According to The Journal, it’s not uncommon for bodies to wash into South Korea from the North. The two countries share multiple waterways, and North Korea is prone to flash floods and deadly mudslides, especially during the summer. 

Tensions remain despite Seoul’s softened tone 

The refusal to engage over the farmer’s body underscores the ongoing diplomatic freeze between North and South Korea. 

Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has pledged a less confrontational approach toward Pyongyang. As Straight Arrow News reported, Lee ordered loudspeakers installed at the border, which blasted K-pop and pro-Seoul messages, to be removed — a symbolic move aimed at easing tensions.

Pyongyang dismissed the move, saying relations are now beyond repair.