N. Korea: Defector at heart of Covid-19 case fled sex abuse investigation

In a photo taken on May 5, 2017 a soldier stands at the fence of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating north and south Korea, near Ganghwa, where a 24-year-old man is believed to have swum back to the North after being investigated for rape allegations in the South.South Korea said on July 27 the defector who Pyoangyang claims to be its first suspected coronavirus case has never been confirmed with the disease in the South, while analysts say the North is conveniently blaming Seoul for the possibly already existing outbreak. - AFP

SEOUL, July 28 (Reuters): Last week, a 24-year-old defector returned to North Korea the way he left in 2017, authorities say, but with a coronavirus pandemic raging in the background this time, his illicit trip drew far more attention.

South Korea has identified the man only by his surname, Kim, and said he was the "runaway" who North Korea accuses of illegally crossing their shared border last week with symptoms of COVID-19.