A North Korean man successfully escaped to South Korea after swimming across the sea with plastic foam tied to his body on the evening of July 30 after a nearly 10-hour journey across the western part of the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean officials said the man waved and shouted his intention to surrender before being rescued by their military, a testament to the desperation of some people to escape North Korea's strict rule.
With tighter security and new border fortifications built by Kim Jong-Un, escapes have become rare. In the past, many fled through China, but now they are choosing more dangerous routes such as swimming in the sea or crossing the Demilitarized Zone.
Last year, just 236 defected to South Korea, down from more than 1,000 a year before. The United Nations says human rights abuses are widespread in North Korea, including public executions, torture, and forced labor. Half the population is malnourished.
The man's escape was an extraordinary event that once again exposed the brutality within one of the most isolated countries in the world.
