A North Korean escapee suspected of redefecting to the DPRK in mid-July likely swam through the Han River estuary near Ganghwa Island after overcoming steel bars and barbed wires inside a drain near the border, ROK military officials told lawmakers on Tuesday.

Chairman of the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Park Han-ki, said that some video clips recorded via the military’s surveillance equipment “vaguely” showed the defector’s path, adding that further review is needed in order to confirm the details.

“There’s a chance that, although still unconfirmed, the individual who attempted redefection to the North may have worn [equipment]