My name is Daniel. I was an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea, and am now a writer who has

published three books including South Korea : Our Story by Daniel Nardini.

                                    Yet another North Korean soldier has escaped into South Korea. That

bring the total number of soldiers trying to escape to four, and all North Koreans who have escaed

either through the demilitarized zone or the maritime zone to 15 this year. We must keep in mind

that escaping through either the demilitarized zone or the maritime border is next to impossible.

The North Koreans have tight control, and there are all kinds of landmines, machine gun emplacements

and watch towers all through the demilitarized zone. The only real possible escape is through Panmunjom,

and even that is extremely risky. It would be far, far easier to cross the Tumen River into China and then

make a person's way to South Korea. This goes on the premise that a North Korean will not be caught

by the Chinese police. But to go through the demilitarized zone and the maritime border can be as

good as suicide. Nevertheless, this is being tried. We may never know how many may have tried to

escape from these two extremely guarded areas and failed. We know of the ones who have managed

to succeed. With the number of those defecting this way having gone up, we have to wonder what

the conditions must be like in North Korea right now? The defector before this one talks of ordinary

North Korean soldiers having to forage for their own food, and even steal it. We know that Kim

Jong-un has not provided as much money or provisions for the regular North Korean army that his

father and grandfather had done. Which brings up the next question, will there be more

defections next year in 2018? Is this a possible trend? Only time will tell.