[ti:South Korea Says North Shot at Soldier Trying to Defect] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.12]North Korean soldiers shot at and wounded another soldier [00:05.00]who was crossing the border between the North and South. [00:10.16]The South Korean military said Monday the soldier was trying to defect [00:16.00]in the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ. [00:23.04]North Korean soldiers have crossed the border to defect at times. [00:29.24]But it is rare for a North Korean soldier to defect by crossing the DMZ. [00:37.04]North and South Korean soldiers stand meters away from each other. [00:43.60]The North Korean soldier left from a guard post [00:47.22]at the northern side of Panmunjom village to the southern side of the village. [00:53.32]He was shot in the shoulder and elbow [00:56.80]and was taken to a South Korean hospital, [00:59.64]said the South's Defense Ministry. [01:03.60]It was not immediately known how serious his injuries were [01:08.56]or why he decided to defect. [01:12.60]South Korean troops found the injured soldier south of the border [01:17.96]after hearing the sound of gunfire. [01:21.84]South Korean troops did not fire at Northern soldiers, [01:26.92]a South Korean Defense Ministry official said. [01:31.28]The defection came at a time of heightened tension [01:34.88]over North Korea's nuclear weapons program. [01:39.32]North Korea has normally accused South Korea [01:43.20]of enticing its citizens to defect, something the South denies. [01:49.64]Panmunjom and other DMZ areas are guarded [01:54.67]by hundreds of thousands of troops from North Korea [01:58.96]and the United Nations Command. [02:02.32]The command includes troops from the United States and South Korea. [02:09.80]The area is a popular stop for visitors from both sides. [02:16.00]American presidents often visit the DMZ during their trips to South Korea. [02:23.48]President Donald Trump planned to visit the DMZ during his visit to South Korea. [02:31.16]But bad weather prevented his helicopter from landing near the border area. [02:38.48]It is estimated that about 30,000 North Koreans [02:43.08]have defected to South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953. [02:50.64]But most of them travel through China. [02:54.48]In 1998, a North Korean soldier fled to the South through the DMZ, [03:00.88]but there have been few incidents in recent years. [03:05.68]Earlier in 1976, North Korean soldiers with axes and knives [03:13.16]attacked a group of soldiers in the DMZ, [03:16.76]killing two American soldiers and injuring five South Korean soldiers. [03:23.80]The U.S. then flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers toward the DMZ [03:30.40]as a warning to North Korea. [03:34.08]In 1984, North Korean and U.N. Command soldiers exchanged gunfire [03:41.52]after a Soviet citizen defected by sprinting to the South Korean side of the village. [03:48.80]Three North Korean soldiers and one South Korean soldier died in the gunfire. [03:56.68]I'm Jonathan Evans. [03:58.68]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM