North Korean defector walks free

The border region is heavily guarded

A North Korean man has managed to defect to the South across the heavily mined demilitarised zone between the two countries, according to military authorities in Seoul.

The 37-year-old defector "walked, swam and crawled to cross the border," a spokesman for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff office said.

North Korean defectors rarely attempt to escape across the heavily fortified zone separating the impoverished communist state from its southern neighbour.

Instead, most choose to travel through China, or by boat.

Click here to see a map of the demilitarised zone

On Thursday, the demilitarised zone was also in the spotlight when soldiers from the two sides exchanged machinegun fire.

Tensions between the North and South are strained - heightened by the ongoing standoff over North Korea's nuclear developments - and the border between the two countries is heavily guarded by troops from both sides.

The situation has remained volatile since the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, with no clear winner.

The 50th anniversary of the truce will be celebrated on 27 July.

Nuclear impasse

Diplomatic efforts to end the crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme continued on Friday, despite the border shoot-out the day before.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun held talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, with the two leaders agreeing to intensify efforts to resolve the crisis.

Meanwhile a senior Chinese envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, is set to met US Secretary of State Colin Powell later on Friday in Washington.

He is expected to brief Mr Powell on meetings he held earlier in the week with the North Korean leadership in Pyongyang.

Mr Powell said on Thursday that, based on information already conveyed to him by the Chinese Government, he was optimistic that there would be a move to end the deadlock in the near future.

Correspondents say China may suggest three-way talks between Beijing, Washington and North Korea as a first step to wider negotiations.

China offered a similar compromise in April, when delegates from the three countries met in Beijing.

But Washington wants its other Asian regional allies, including South Korea and Japan, to participate in talks from the outset.

Pyongyang, however, has repeatedly insisted that it is only willing to talk directly with the United States.

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