The South Korean military said on Thursday that a North Korean soldier crossed the inter-Korean border the previous night and expressed an intention to defect.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said the man was spotted moving southward after crossing an interior portion of the Military Demarcation Line(MDL) at around 11:38 p.m. on Wednesday.

It said that the South Korean military took the soldier into custody some 20 minutes later in accordance with standard protocol.

No additional information was disclosed about the man, with the JCS saying only that related authorities are investigating his methods and motives for crossing into South Korea.

The JCS added that no unusual activity has been identified by the North Korean military in the border regions.

It's the first time in about eight months that a North Korean is known to have crossed the MDL into the South.

[Photo : YONHAP News]