They usually go north into China as the DMZ is so well guarded.

Glad he made it. I'm sure they will also be able to get some good info out of him.

I hope they keep him well guarded.

The number of defections (3) alarms me a bit.

We know it's bad there but has it gotten ever worse.
Do these defectors (aside from normal reasons) know something's up?

I would have thought security infrastructure would have made this a lot harder. Yes he got shot but he was able to speed down the road without a gate or tire puncturing grate popping up?

And I hope they don’t punish the other soldiers.

Generally soldiers are young so they tend to have family. Maybe they gave him the okay.

Older friend of my wife's escaped East Germany. Her father put a pistol in the one piece of luggage she and her mother carried on the train. It ended with them in a hot air balloon going across the border.

She dated a GI when she was a teen. He was being shipped home so that was the end of that. Several years later she moved to NYC with her mother. One day walking down a NYC street she randomly ran back into him. They've been married 50 years or so.

Incredible story.

My mom actually dated a German POW when she was 18 in Wales at the end of the war.

Nothing came of it because she had no intention of getting married at that age, even though he asked. She married my London dad when she was 30.

Years and years later she and my dad visited him in Munich.

Recently, as I’ve been going through her things (died in February), I found a picture of him. Handsome fella. I assume he’s probably gone too by now. Mom was 90.

He should have been dead. That's just amazing and lucky.

After a few steps.

I also find it amazing someone felt like they had to explain that video..

91 second video

Kudos to the SK army guys for dragging him to safety.