North Korean soldier defects to South across border as Trump hopes for second Kim Jong-un summit

Officials in Seoul prepare to question defector who escaped across demilitarised zone

A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea in the early hours of Saturday, military officials in Seoul have said.

The man escaped from the north by crossing the heavily fortified demarcation line that separates the two nations and was found south of the eastern side of the line by South Korean soldiers

He was escorted to safety and will now be questioned by officials in Seoul about the details of his defection.

South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said that no unusual activity from troops in the North had been detected in the area where the escape happened.

The defection comes as officials in both countries push to implement a wide-ranging agreement, struck in September, which would reduce military tensions on the Korean peninsula.

It is unclear how the North will react to the soldier's defection.

The country's official media has yet to report on the incident, but Pyongyang frequently responds to such escapes by accusing South Korea of kidnapping its citizens or manipulating them into defecting.

Around 30,000 North Koreans have fled to the South, mostly travelling through China, since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

Just a few hours before the man was found, South Korea's presidential office also confirmed that Donald Trump had expressed a willingness to hold a second summit with Kim Jong-un.

The US president told South Korea's Moon Jae-in that he would be open to meeting with the North Korean leader early next year.

Mr Trump was speaking on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He also said that a planned visit by Kim Jong-un to Seoul, for Mr Trump's fourth summit with Mr Moon, would create momentum as the leaders aim to secure stability in the region.

Seoul says the military agreement, which would create buffer zones along the Koreas' land and sea boundaries and a no-fly zone above the border, is an important step towards reconciliation between two nations that have technically remained at war for the past 65 years.

Officials believe that the pact would help stabilise the region but critics say that the South is conceding some of its military strength before the North takes any meaningful steps on denuclearisation.

There are concerns about nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, which are seemingly heading for a stalemate.

Defecting from North Korea can be perilous.

In November 2017 a soldier was severely wounded after he fled to the South and was shot at from the North.

Oh Chong-song survived the attack and told a Japanese newspaper last month he had broken through a checkpoint after drinking with friends.

He said he kept heading towards the border in a military jeep because he feared he would be executed over the incident if he turned back.

Additional reporting by agencies