North Korea does not enjoy a superb relationship with its neighbours, especially with South Korea. The two countries fought in the Korea War of 1950-53 which ended in an armed truce instead of a peace treaty. They technically remain at war with each other, and the border between them is the most heavily militarized in the world (Mullen, Kwon and Kim). The border is referred to as the demilitarized zone (DMZ) because of the high military presence around it. The soldiers protect their respective countries from attacks by the other country. Gunfire is used to repel any attempt by soldiers from any side to approach the border by soldiers from the other side. However, North Korean soldiers occasionally make it across the border, like it happened in 2012 when a North Korean soldier made it into South Korean barracks.
South Korea has continuously received refugees, both civilian and military, from the north. According to Mullen, Kwon and Kim, over twenty-six thousand North Koreans have sought refuge in South Korea since the end of the war. The majority of the refugees have arrived in South Korea over the last fifteen years (Mullen, Kwon and Kim). It is worth noting that direct crossing into South Korea from North Korea is difficult and rare because of the massive military presence along the border. As such, most refugees first cross to China and then into South Korea (Park). North Korea treats any southerners in its territory with suspicion and detains them. For example, the country held two elderly South Koreans who the government at Seoul believed went missing while travelling near the Chinese border with North Korea (Mullen, Kwon and Kim).
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As noted elsewhere in this essay, North Korean soldiers also escape the country and seek refuge in South Korea. Such escapes are common with the soldiers deployed to guard the border with the south. Around one thousand four hundred soldiers fled to South Korea in 2014 alone (The Telegraph). Kim Jung-on, the current North Korean leader, has strengthened control measures to prevent his soldiers from defecting to the south. There are currently more than one thousand two hundred watchtowers along the North Korean side of the border to prevent people and soldiers from escaping to the south. Its military has also laid a lot of landmines along the border to prevent defections. As such, soldiers have found it difficult to defect to the South, and the last defection occurred in 2012 (The Telegraph). However, a North Korean teenage soldier made it through the DMZ into South Korea on Monday 15th June 2015. The South Korean army did not open fire at the soldier because he expressed his willingness to defect (Williams).
