A North Korean man crossed the heavily patrolled South Korean border and wandered around unnoticed for hours, causing public outrage in Seoul, the Independent reported.
The unnamed man reportedly swam several kilometers before reaching the highly-protected border, making use of a wet suit and flippers that he stashed after coming ashore. He then walked an additional 5 kilometers along South Korean roads, according to the BBC.
The escapee spent hours wandering South Korean unimpeded, attempting to make contact with civilians for fear of being returned to the totalitarian state by the military.
Security officials said the incident was captured by security cameras eight times and triggered multiple alarms. Guards finally arrested the man after cameras detected him a ninth time, BBC reported.
The high-security area is one of the most heavily guarded zones in the world. The South Korean army stated that it would investigate the security lapse, Independent reported. (RELATED: North Korea Reportedly Blows Up Inter-Korean Border Office After Threatening To Sever All Communication With South Korea)
Mannequins of South Korean soldiers stand before a guard post open to visitors, beside the barbed wire fence of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea on Ganghwa island on May 24, 2018. (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)
It is suspected that North Korea leader Kim Jong-un ordered tighter borders by planting more landmines since he took power in 2011. However, approximately 1,000 people still flee from North Korea every year to escape the repressive state, BBC reported.