Oh Chong-song explained

Oh Chong-song
Birth Place:Near Kaesong, Changpung County, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea
Nationality:North Korean (formerly)
South Korean
Occupation:Soldier
Known For:Escape from North Korea
Module:
Hangul:오청성
Hanja:吳青成
Rr:O Cheongseong
Mr:O Ch'ŏngsŏng
Context:north
Child:yes

Oh Chong-song (; born 1992 or 1993), also spelled Oh Chung-sung,[1] is a North Korean defector. Oh is one of several defectors who have defected to South Korea via the Joint Security Area (JSA).[2] [3] Prior to his defection, Oh was an industrial engineer.[4] South Korean investigators concluded Oh "impulsively" defected.[5]

According to Sankei Shimbun, Japanese officials have confirmed that Oh is the son of a North Korean major general.[6]

Defection

Oh defected from North Korea on 13 November 2017. During his escape, he drove a car directly up to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) dividing North and South Korea and crashed, apparently losing a wheel. He then exited the car and sprinted across the MDL under close-range gunfire, collapsing on the South Korean side under cover of a low wall, metres away from the MDL.[7] After being rescued by South Korean soldiers, Oh was transported in a helicopter from the U.S. Eighth Army's 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, to the Ajou University Hospital in Suwon. Having lost half of his blood from five gunshot wounds received from North Korean soldiers during his escape, his condition required immediate surgery upon arrival at the hospital to save his life.[8]

Reaction

North Korean soldiers violated the Korean Armistice Agreement during the incident by firing shots across the MDL into South Korea.[9] Following these events, North Korean guards in the Joint Security Area were replaced.[10] [11] Additional measures were taken to prevent similar defections. A trench was dug at the site where Oh's vehicle had broken down[12] [13] and a new gate was installed along the road to Panmunjom.[14]

Health

While Oh was in surgery for his gunshot wounds, doctors found large parasitic worms in his digestive tract, one of which was long. The parasites were Ascaris lumbricoides worms.[15] [16] Oh was treated by surgeon Lee Guk-jong at the Ajou University Hospital's intensive care.[17] Oh was later transferred to a military hospital.[18] The surgery and treatment of Oh cost the South Korean government 65 million won ($60,800).[19] South Korea's Channel A reported that an unnamed South Korean intelligence agent claimed that one of the four North Korean soldiers who defected in 2017 had anthrax antibodies in his system;[20] however, the South Korean defense ministry did not confirm the report, and stated that none of the four soldiers are believed to have worked in North Korea's biochemical warfare unit.[21] A South Korean intelligence official familiar with Oh's case reported to MBN that Oh may be showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. Oh could not recall his defection during interrogation.[22]

Alleged confession

According to an unnamed source quoted by the South Korean newspaper The Dong-a Ilbo, Oh allegedly confessed to South Korean investigators that he had committed a crime in North Korea, which "caused a death" or "led to the killing of people", depending on the source.[1] [23]

In the media

CNN has made a special documentary on the defection of Oh.[24] In 2019, NBC did a short update interview with Oh.[25]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 23 January 2018 . The North Korean soldier who risked his life to defect to the South reportedly admitted to killing someone . en . Newsweek . live . 8 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123025/http://www.newsweek.com/north-korea-defector-killed-person-escape-south-korea-787578 . February 8, 2018.
  2. Web site: What we've learned about the North Korean soldier whose daring escape was caught on video. Marwa. Eltagouri. November 24, 2017. December 18, 2017. www.WashingtonPost.com. December 20, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171220081929/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/24/what-weve-learned-about-the-north-korean-soldier-whose-daring-escape-was-caught-on-video/. live.
  3. News: Escape From North Korea: Dramatic New Footage. Wall Street Journal . November 23, 2017. December 18, 2017. www.WSJ.com. December 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171214133021/https://www.wsj.com/articles/escape-from-north-korea-dramatic-new-footage-1511415094. live.
  4. Web site: Report: North Korea soldier has no recollection of daring escape. UPI. December 28, 2017. December 28, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228183046/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/12/28/Report-North-Korea-soldier-has-no-recollection-of-daring-escape/6561514481083/. live.
  5. Web site: Panmunjeom: Standing witness to decades of border history. April 26, 2018. koreatimes. October 26, 2021. October 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211026080353/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/10/103_247950.html. live.
  6. News: 19 November 2018 . North Korea defector: next generation have no loyalty to Kim Jong-un – report . The Guardian . Agence France-Presse . live . 1 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190401045214/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/19/north-korea-defector-next-generation-have-no-loyalty-to-kim-jong-un-report . April 1, 2019.
  7. News: 22 November 2017. North Korean defector: What we've learned from dramatic footage. BBC News. 19 December 2017. July 1, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180701123550/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42076543. live.
  8. Web site: Joshua Berlinger. Dramatic video shows North Korean soldier's escape across border. December 18, 2017. CNN.com. November 22, 2017 . November 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171122044346/http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/21/asia/north-korea-defector/index.html. live.
  9. News: 5 December 2017. Watch a surgeon pull a 10-inch parasite from North Korean defector's body. en. Newsweek. 19 December 2017. April 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180415062430/http://www.newsweek.com/parasite-north-korea-defector-surgery-735552. live.
  10. News: November 24, 2017. Pearson. James. Kim. Christine. North Korea replaces soldiers, South Korea awards medals after defector's border dash. September 1, 2021. Reuters. September 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210901160043/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-southkorea-defection-jsa-idUSKBN1DO0BW. live.
  11. News: Tong-Hyung . Kim . Report: N. Korea replaces border guards following defection . November 24, 2017 . . September 1, 2021 . February 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230215230438/https://apnews.com/article/23f639b6e3c34ef59edb6d43ee60caba . live .
  12. News: November 24, 2017. North Korea digs trench at DMZ border. BBC News. December 18, 2017. December 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171221232844/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42105785. live.
  13. News: Sanchez . Ray . North Korea replaces soldiers and digs trench at defection site . November 26, 2017 . . September 1, 2021 . September 1, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210901160043/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/24/asia/north-korea-border-soldiers-trench/index.html . live .
  14. News: Oh . Seungmock . N. Korea installs new gate, further security precautions along road to Panmunjom . January 22, 2018 . . September 1, 2021 . March 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210309010744/https://www.nknews.org/2018/01/n-korea-installs-new-gate-further-security-precautions-along-road-to-panmunjom/ . live .
  15. News: North Korean defector had 27cm parasitic worm in his stomach. The Guardian . Reuters. November 17, 2017. December 18, 2017. www.TheGuardian.com. December 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171217232906/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/17/north-korean-defector-parasitic-worm-parasites-south-korea. live.
  16. Web site: Horrific infestation in defector's stomach reveals truth about North Korea. November 20, 2017. South China Morning Post. October 26, 2021. October 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211026080353/https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2120629/what-horrific-parasites-infesting-defectors-stomach-tell-us. live.
  17. Web site: When he woke up from surgery, the 25-year-old North Korea defector said he wanted to eat a choco pie. December 16, 2017. Newsweek.com. December 18, 2017. November 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211116045230/https://www.newsweek.com/north-korean-defector-receives-free-chocolate-pies-life-750564. live.
  18. News: Wounded North Korean defector transferred to South Korean military hos. December 16, 2017. December 18, 2017. Reuters. December 18, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171218070808/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-southkorea-defection/wounded-north-korean-defector-transferred-to-south-korean-military-hospital-idUSKBN1EA04A. live.
  19. Web site: North Korean Defector With Gunshot Wounds Will Have $60,000 Medical Bill Paid for by South Korea. Lotto Persio. Sofia. 28 December 2017. Newsweek. December 28, 2017. December 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171229015826/http://www.newsweek.com/north-korean-defector-survived-gunshot-wounds-medical-bill-paid-761133. live.
  20. News: Anthrax antibodies in defector raises fears North Korea is developing chemical weapons. 28 December 2017. USA TODAY. en. December 28, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228170144/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/27/anthrax-defector-raises-new-fears-north-korea-developing-biological-weapons/983810001/. live.
  21. News: How serious is the North Korean anthrax threat?. 28 December 2017. CNN. December 28, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228135841/http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/asia/north-korea-anthrax-intl/index.html. live.
  22. Web site: North Korean Defector Doesn't Remember Escaping Across Border: Report. Joe. Difazio. December 28, 2017. International Business Times. October 26, 2021. October 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211026080355/https://www.ibtimes.com/north-korean-defector-doesnt-remember-escaping-across-border-report-2634281. live.
  23. Web site: NK military defector allegedly confessed to being involved in murder case back home. January 23, 2018. January 23, 2018. January 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180123210023/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180123000857. live.
  24. News: CNN Exclusive: Escape from North Korea Special Documentary. January 11, 2018. CNN. January 11, 2018. January 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180111145224/http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2018/01/11/cnn-exclusive-escape-from-north-korea-special-documentary/. live.
  25. News: North Korean defector Oh Chong Song doesn't blame comrades who shot him. April 15, 2019. Stella. Kim. Alexander. Smith. NBC News. April 29, 2019. April 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190429234456/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korean-defector-oh-chong-song-doesn-t-blame-comrades-n994441. live.

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