This June 14, 2019 file photo shows the Republic of Korea's army soldiers patrolling the DMZ Peace Trail in the Demilitarized Zone in Goseong, ROK. (AHN YOUNG-JOON / AP)

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea ’s military said on Tuesday it had captured a Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) man who crossed the heavily fortified border and was investigating whether he tried to defect.

The man was found about 4:20 am (1920 GMT Monday) near a checkpoint on the eastern end of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), and was taken into custody after a three-hour search, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The man was found about 4:20 am (1920 GMT Monday) near a checkpoint on the eastern end of the Demilitarised Zone, and was taken into custody after a three-hour search, the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff said

“He is presumed to be a North Korean and we’re conducting an investigation into details, including how he had come down and whether he wished to defect,” the JCS said in a statement. The DPRK is also referred to as North Korea. 

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There was no unusual movement across the border but the military is reviewing its security posture in the region, it added. 

In July, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un declared an emergency and sealed off a border town after a person with COVID-19 symptoms illegally crossed the border into the DPRK  from the ROK.

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