North Korean defector allegedly stole bus to drive back across border, South Korean police say
Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images
(SEOUL) — A North Korean defector living in South Korea is under arrest for allegedly stealing a bus and attempting to drive it across the border into North Korea last week, police said.
The man, who is in his 30s, escaped North Korea and settled in 2011 in Seoul, according to South Korea’s Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police. Reportedly, he told police that he wanted to return to North Korea because life was difficult in the South and he missed his family back in the North.
He was not the first North Korean defector who has attempted to return home. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said 31 defectors re-entered the North from 2012 to 2022, an average of about three each year. The ministry’s report revealed that 71% of the defectors who reentered North Korea resided in the South for less than five years.
“The few North Korean defectors who wish to reenter North Korea seem to have failed to adapt to the very different environment in the South,” Dr. Shin Dae-jin, principal researcher at the Sungkyunkwan University Center for Good Democracy, told ABC News. “Also there are elderly defectors who wish to return because they miss their hometown so dearly.”
The man allegedly tried to cross the Tongil Bridge in Paju, which leads to the fortified inter-Korean border, ignoring the warnings of soldiers. He was eventually stopped by military forces guarding the bridge and handed over to police. The police issued an arrest warrant last Friday after an investigation on charges of violating the National Security Act and the Military Base Protection Act, vehicle theft and driving without a license.
Although its society is generally democratic and capitalistic, South Korea welcomes North Korean defectors by providing basic education at the adaptation center for months before letting them walk out freely into society. But the reality of adapting to a new way of life isn’t always easy for the defectors.
According to North Korean Refugees Foundation research last year, North Korean defectors earn approximately $460 less in monthly income than others in South Korea. Research center Seoul Institute’s report revealed last year that 37.7% of North Korean defectors living in Seoul are welfare recipients, which means their income does not meet the minimum cost of living.
“North Korean defectors often face economic and psychological difficulties, unable to find employment after receiving one-time subsidies provided by the government,” Lawmaker Han Jeoung-ae who takes part in the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, told ABC News. “The government must provide more practical support for employment and housing, and psychological and social support if needed.”
Experts pointed out that only a handful of defectors attempt to reenter North Korea.
“There are misfits in any society; the defectors who wish to return are like immigrants who wonder if their lives left behind could have been better off,” Kwang Baek Lee, who represents a news outlet that targets North Korean people, told ABC News.
But many defectors who risked their lives to cross the fortified border find their new lives a second chance.
“I am grateful for the life I have in South Korea, that I get paid for the work I have done, the choices I have at the market, that I can have three meals a day and when I return home from work I get to watch the television,” Hyukpil Lim, a defector in his 60s who makes a living by cleaning apartment garbage grounds, told ABC News.
According to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, 34,183 North Korean escapees took root in South Korea until June this year. More than 1,000 people escaped and settled down before 2020, but COVID-19 made the escape route even more difficult, resulting in a dramatic decrease to 63 people in 2021, 67 in 2022 and 196 in 2023.
Meanwhile the budget for supporting North Korean defectors this year decreased by $3.3 million compared to last year.
(LONDON) — Israel is marking the first anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack as its Lebanon operation continues and leaders consider their response to Iran’s latest long-range missile attack.
Hundreds of Iranian missiles were fired into the country last week, according to Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Iran said the unprecedented attack was retaliation for a wave of assassinations carried out by Israel over the last several weeks targeting Hezbollah, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Most of the missiles were intercepted, but “several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed,” an Israeli security official said.
Israel intercepts missile fired from Yemen, IDF says
Air alert sirens sounded across central Israel on Monday due to a missile launch from Yemen, the Israel Defense Forces said.
“The air force successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen,” the force wrote on X.
Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly targeted Israel using missiles and drones. Israel has launched airstrikes on Houthi military and infrastructure sites in response.
Airstrike hits close to Beirut airport
Two more powerful strikes hit Beirut on Monday morning as Israel’s air campaign continued, including one that impacted close to the city’s international airport.
The strikes sent towering pillars of smoke and dust rising above the capital and Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.
The airport is located south of the city center close to the Dahiya suburb, which is known as a Hezbollah stronghold and has borne the brunt of Israel’s attacks on the city.
Beirut’s airport is still functioning despite nearby airstrikes, though major international carriers have frozen operations there due to the deteriorating security situation.
Lebanon-based Middle East Airlines now accounts for most flights landing at and departing the airport, which was bombed by Israeli warplanes in 2006 during the last major cross-border conflict.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell and Morgan Winsor
World must condemn Iran on Oct. 7 anniversary, Blinken says
Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked the first anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack by calling on the international community to “condemn Iran’s support for Hamas and other terrorist groups in the region that are responsible for so much death, destruction and instability.”
“Today, we mark a devastating and tragic anniversary,” Blinken said in a statement published by the State Department. “The depravity of Hamas’ crimes is almost unspeakable.”
The Oct. 7 attack “unleashed a year of conflict, with tragic consequences for the Palestinian people,” Blinken said.
“The United States mourns the death of every innocent who died on Oct. 7 and in the year since. It is time to reach a ceasefire agreement that brings the hostages home, alleviates the suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian people and ultimately brings an end to this war.”
Blinken called on other nations to “stand steadfast in the face of terrorism and violent extremism, including the sources of support for groups like Hamas,” specifically Iran.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to lasting peace and stability across the region and for a common future for Israelis and Palestinians with equal measures of security, dignity, opportunity and freedom,” Blinken added.
Netanyahu attends Oct. 7 Jerusalem memorial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a ceremony at the “Iron Swords” monument in Jerusalem to commemorate Israelis killed since Oct. 7, 2023.
The monument was unveiled in September to remember those from Jerusalem killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel and in the subsequent fighting.
“On this day, in this place, and in many places in our country, we remember our fallen, our abductees — whom we are obliged to return — and our heroes who fell for the defense of the homeland and the country,” Netanyahu said.
“We went through a terrible massacre a year ago and we stood up as a people, as lions.”
“A nation of wolves will rise and a lion will soar,” Netanyahu said.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
US will help deter Iran, Austin tells Gallant
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday to reiterate U.S. support ahead of Monday’s Oct. 7 one-year anniversary.
Austin “reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself and noted that the United States maintains significant capability in the region to defend U.S. personnel and facilities, provide further support for Israel’s self-defense and deter further escalation,” a readout provided by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
The two “reiterated their commitment to deterring Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from taking advantage of the situation or expanding the conflict,” the readout added.
Austin also “expressed his condolences” for two Israeli soldiers killed in a drone attack launched by Iran-aligned Iraqi militants on Oct. 3.
U.S. and Israeli officials are in close contact as the latter consider how to respond to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel last week.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Biden says US ‘fully committed’ to Israel one year after Oct. 7
The White House released a statement Monday to mark the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, with President Joe Biden condemning “the unspeakable brutality” of the 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
“One year later, Vice President [Kamala] Harris and I remain fully committed to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel and its right to exist,” Biden said.
“We support Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iran,” the president added, noting the U.S. role in responding to Iran’s most recent ballistic missile attack on Israel last week.
“We will never give up until we bring all of the remaining hostages home safely,” the president said of the 101 captives still in Gaza.
Biden condemned the “vicious surge in anti-semitism in America and around the world,” which he called “unacceptable.”
For Palestinians, too, Biden said Oct. 7 should be remembered “as a dark day.”
“Far too many civilians have suffered far too much during this year of conflict — and tens of thousands have been killed, a human toll made far worse by terrorists hiding and operating among innocent people,” he said.
“Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve to live in security, dignity, and peace. We also continue to believe that a diplomatic solution across the Israel-Lebanon border region is the only path to restore lasting calm and allow residents on both sides to return safely to their homes.”
-ABC News’ Lauren Minore
Hamas marks Oct. 7 anniversary with rocket attack
Hamas released a statement Sunday to mark the first anniversary of its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
The statement attributed to leader Yahya Sinwar and deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya described the attack as a “glorious” operation that “shattered the illusions the enemy had created for itself.”
The Hamas attack killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw some 250 people taken to Gaza as hostages.
Monday’s statement said Hamas was ready “for an agreement that achieves the cessation of aggression, ends the siege and leads to a serious exchange deal,” accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “procrastinating and obstructing” negotiations.
Hamas claimed responsibility for rocket fire that set off alarms in Tel Aviv and other parts of central Israel on Monday. One projectile landed south of Tel Aviv and wounded at least two people, emergency responders said.
The rockets were fired from the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said 41,802 Palestinians have been killed in the strip since Oct. 7, 2023.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Matt Gutman and Sohel Uddin
Hezbollah vows to repel Israel despite ‘heavy’ losses
Hezbollah acknowledged “heavy” losses within its “leadership structure” and “military and material structure” during its ongoing conflict with Israel, in a statement issued Monday to mark the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack.
The group said it is “confident” in the “ability of our resistance to repel the aggression” in Lebanon in a message posted to one of its official Telegram channels.
One year of war, the group claimed, has shown Israel to be “a fragile entity that is unable to survive and continue without American support.”
The U.S. and its allies “bear full responsibility for the killing, criminality, injustice and shocking human tragedies” experienced by the Palestinian and Lebanese people, the statement added.
(LONDON) — The Gaza infrastructure decimated by the Israel military operation against Hamas has set back human development in the area by almost 70 years, according to a new UN report.
After Hamas launched an unprecedented terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage, Israel began its military retaliation on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 42,000 people in the Palestinian territory, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry.
As the war in the region rages on, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said that Israel “must act in every way possible to bring back the 101 hostages” still in Gaza after the announcement that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had been killed during an Oct. 17 military operation.
Approximately 60% of buildings in Gaza — at least 151,265 structures — and 57% of agricultural land have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new assessment released Tuesday from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA).
UNDP estimates that the war has erased “over 69 years of progress” in Gaza and that it would cost more than $18.5 billion to repair the direct damage to the territory’s infrastructure.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has called the mass destruction of dwellings “domicide,” known as the widespread destruction of a living environment, as it has made the Palestinian territory “uninhabitable.”The report also highlights UN concerns about access to not just housing, but also food sources, health care, drinking water, sanitation facilities and more.
“Projections in this new assessment confirm that amidst the immediate suffering and horrific loss of life, a serious development crisis is also unfolding – one that jeopardizes the future of Palestinians for generations to come,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. “The assessment indicates that, even if humanitarian aid is provided each year, the economy may not regain its pre-crisis level for a decade or more. As conditions on the ground allow, the Palestinian people need a robust early recovery strategy embedded in the humanitarian assistance phase, laying foundations for a sustainable recovery.”
UNDP reports that about 90% of the population has been internally displaced, many of them repeatedly. With tens of thousands of damaged housing units among the destruction, more than 743,000 individuals are expected to remain displaced after the war’s end.
This impact is larger than just housing — an estimated 67% of water and sanitation infrastructure and facilities were damaged or destroyed, and 92.9% of school buildings have sustained damage. Health care infrastructure has faced almost 500 attacks recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Israeli officials have said Sinwar’s death “creates a possibility for the immediate release of the abductees and to bring about a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza — without Hamas and without Iranian control,” according to Israel Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday amid U.S. efforts to kickstart stalled cease-fire negotiations in Gaza and encourage a diplomatic resolution to ongoing fighting between the Israeli Defense Forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris described Thursday as a good day for the world after the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Sinwar, considered the mastermind behind the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel that prompted war in Gaza and wider regional conflict, was killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday.
Biden, in a lengthy written statement, said he directed U.S. intelligence officials to help Israel locate and track Sinwar as well as other Hamas leaders hiding underground.
“To my Israeli friends, this is no doubt a day of relief and reminiscence, similar to the scenes witnessed throughout the United States after President Obama ordered the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011,” Biden said.
A key question now is what Sinwar’s death could mean for the war, and whether it could put new pressure on Israel and Hamas to restart negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release deal.
U.S. officials said Sinwar was the main barrier to achieving such a resolution.
Biden said he will soon discuss with Israeli leaders the path forward for bringing hostages home and “for ending this war once and for all.”
“There is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Biden said. “Yahya Sinwar was an insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals. That obstacle no longer exists. But much work remains before us.”
According to the prime minister’s office, Biden called Netanyahu from Air Force One and “congratulated him” on Sinwar’s death,
“The two leaders agreed that there is an opportunity to promote the release of the abductees, and that they will work together to achieve this goal,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Vice President Harris echoed Biden’s comments as she campaigned in battleground Wisconsin.
“Israel has a right to defend itself, and the threat Hamas poses to Israel must be eliminated. Today, there is clear progress toward that goal. Hamas is decimated, and its leadership is eliminated,” Harris told reporters in prepared remarks.
“This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, and it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination. And it is time for the day after to begin without Hamas in power,” Harris added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that Sinwar was responsible for the deaths of citizens of more than 30 countries and that the “world is a better place with him gone.”
“In the days ahead, the United States will redouble its efforts with partners to end this conflict, secure the release all hostages, and chart a new path forward that will enable the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations free from war and free from the brutal grip of Hamas,” Blinken said.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller similar said from the podium on Thursday that Sinwar’s death offered an “opportunity” to resume negotiations.
