Captured from the footage

The United Nations Command (UNC) on Wednesday released video footage of a North Korean soldier defecting to South Korea via Panmunjom.

The seven-minute clip shows the dramatic incident that happened at the Joint Security Area (JSA) of the truce village on Nov. 13.

It shows a North Korean soldier, armed with a rifle, briefly crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), in pursuit of the defector, which was a clear violation of the 1953 Armistice Agreement.



The UNC stressed that the North also breached the Armistice Agreement by firing weapons across the MDL.

Separate footage from a thermal observation device showed three members of South Korea's JSA security battalion forces -- a battalion commander and two non-commissioned officers -- crawling on their stomachs to recover the wounded defector lying next to a wall.

North Korean troops violated armistice in chasing defector: UN Command 2017-11-22 19:59  |  Politics Defected North Korean solider in stable condition, clearly conscious 2017-11-22 13:40  |  North Korea Wounded North Korean soldier defects through DMZ [PHOTOS] 2017-11-13 16:37  |  North Korea Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the UNC commander, said the battalion personnel's actions were appropriate.

He cited a special investigation involving representatives from the U.S., South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, which was observed by members from Sweden and Switzerland of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.

"After thoroughly reviewing the investigation results, I assess the actions taken by the UNC Security Battalion were in a manner that is consistent with the Armistice Agreement, namely -- to respect the Demilitarized Zone and to take actions that deter a resumption of hostilities," Brooks said in a statement. "The armistice agreement was challenged but it remains in place."

The command added it notified the North's military of the violations earlier in the day and requested a meeting to discuss the issue. (Yonhap)