The South Korean military detected the North Korean defector who previously snuck through a border drain and swam back to the DPRK, the country's Joint Chiefs of Staffs (JCS) told reporters on Friday. The military used surveillance cameras and Thermal Observation Devices (TOD) to track the individual's movements.

The military also decided to relieve a Marine Corps general from his duties, the JCS told reporters during a back briefing on Friday. The dismissed general is being held responsible for a failure to maintain border security and for belatedly confirming the redefection only after North Korean state media reported it last Sunday.