North Korea Defector Leaps 3-Meter Fence In Single Bound, Makes It To Freedom

Athleticism helps when you're trying to escape a failed state.

A former gymnast from North Korea beat security in one of the world's most dangerous border crossings by vaulting over the three-meter barbed wire fence in the Demilitarized Zone - without triggering any alarms.

The man, reportedly in his late 20s, is in the custody of defense authorities in Seoul after he defected earlier this month. According to local news reports, authorities were taken aback by the man's achievement that they had him jump a similar fence to prove his claims.

South Korean authorities are also puzzled as to why the fence's sensitive sensors didn't work and have promised an investigation. They suspect the man's small stature and athletic skills played a role.

Authorities suspected that the former gymnast crossed the border by scaling an iron pole on the fence, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said.

The unidentified man surrendered to soldiers after crossing the zone - an area planted with an estimated 2 million landmines.

After being detained he said he was seeking asylum, South Korea authorities said.

The defection has prompted criticism of the weaknesses of the border crossing. Critics say South Korea military security was slow to respond to a potential infiltration by the North.

A South Korea official was killed after crossing into North Korean waters recently. The man's body was reportedly set on fire by North Korean soldiers - prompting a rare admission by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In 2017, a North Korea soldier sprinted into South Korea via Panmunjom - a military-governed rural community that sits on the border - while being shot at by his colleagues to cross. The soldier was seriously hurt but survived.