Defecting sergeant from the North appears at site of presidential visit

A North Korean Army sergeant crossed the Demilitarized Zone Tuesday night and surrendered to South Korean authorities near Dorasan Station, just hours before the scheduled visit there of U.S. President George W. Bush and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

Joo Sung-il, now being questioned by military authorities, crossed the zone about 11 p.m. He said he had fled to the South. The sergeant, who was wearing his army uniform, fired seven shots from his AK-47 rifle to announce his arrival. He said he did not know that the two presidents were to visit the station - 1.2 kilometers away ?on Wednesday.

The surprise apparition heightened the alertness of security forces for the Bush-Kim visit. Joint U.S.-Korean security forces tightly circled the newly built station at the most northern point of the finished section of the railroad that will connect North and South when finished. President Bush's security team was tripled for the visit.

Movements of military troops in the North were given particular attention as surveillance radar and pilotless reconnaissance planes combed the area. Military officials reported that North Korea was relatively calm.

According to the officials, North Korean soldiers at posts near the Demilitarized Zone withdrew into their bunkers Wednesday morning and stayed there during the visit of the two presidents. The North Korean Air Force halted its flights, and it is believed that North Korean guards on the eastern coast canceled their patrols during the visit.

by Kim Min-seok