A video released Tuesday shows a North Korean soldier trying to escape the secluded country.
The video shows the 24-year-old, known only by his first name Oh, drive his car toward the border between North Korea and South Korea before taking off on foot. Four North Korean soldiers shot him five times before he makes it across the border, making it the first such defection in around a decade, according to Vox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74h4gqOH4I
In the video, the man runs across the border, and a North Korean soldier actually briefly crosses the border between the two countries. The defector was eventually taken by South Korean troops to a local hospital.
The escape took place on Nov. 13, and the defector regained consciousness on Tuesday.
“We believe the most life-threatening moment has now passed,” a government official told Yonhap news agency.
The defector was later found t0 be infested with parasitic worms, including one that was 11 inches long. The New York Times points out that parasitic worms are common due to the conditions faced by many North Korean citizens. Because the country lacks chemical fertilizers, it still relies on human feces to fertilize its fields, which allows parasites to spread.