A North Korean defector, dissatisfied with life in South Korea, attempted to drive a stolen shuttle bus across the border into North Korea.

The 35-year-old defector, who has lived in South Korea since 2011, was apprehended by South Korean military guards on the Tongil Bridge (Unification Bridge) in Paju City in the early morning of October 1. He bypassed a checkpoint and drove nearly three miles before being stopped by a barricade. 

The defector stated that he was heading toward North Korea to return to his hometown. He explained he had not maintained steady employment in South Korea and expressed that he missed his family in North Korea. 

Authorities confirmed that he was neither under the influence of alcohol nor drugs during the incident. He was charged with theft and violating the National Security Act. 

According to media outlet Stars and Stripes, "Many defectors have trouble adjusting to life in the capitalist South after leaving their authoritarian homeland. Nearly 40% of defectors living in Seoul are receiving payments through the National Basic Livelihood system, a form of welfare in South Korea, according to a Seoul Institute report from October 2023."

​A spokeswoman for the South Korean Ministry of Unification also revealed to the news media outlet that at least 30 defectors have returned to North Korea between 2012 and 2020.

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