A North Korean soldier has defected to South Korea, crossing the Military Demarcation Line in the Demilitarized Zone.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the soldier was spotted by the South's military surveillance equipment at around 8 AM, Korea time.
The soldier is in good health and the relevant authorities are investigating how and why he fled.
This comes as the two Koreas are in the process of reducing tensions at the border by removing 20 front-line guard posts and land mines.