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A 30-year-old man from the Republic of Korea (ROK) defected on Monday to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after crossing the eastern part of the Military Demarcation Line, the official news agency KCNA said yesterday.

Kang Tong-rim, who lived in the southern province of Jolla, was pleased with his "accomplishment", the KCNA said.

Kang, from Polgyo township of Posong county, served in the ROK army from 2001 to 2003. During his service, he made several failed attempts to defect as he longed for the DPRK, the KCNA said.

He was now taken good care of by a relevant department of the DPRK, the KCNA added.

The man worked at Samsung Electronics' semiconductor unit and more recently at a pig farm and defected by walking across the heavily mined border.

Crossings are rare through the razor-wire and land-mined Demilitarized Zone buffer that divides the peninsula. But defections to the economically isolated North from the affluent South are even rarer, with the last one likely taking place about four years ago.

The rival Koreas remain technically at war because they never replaced the armistice ending their 1950-53 conflict with a peace treaty.

"He is beside himself with joy for having accomplished this heroic deed," the KCNA said.

The ROK's military and spy agency could not immediately confirm the report.

"He is now under the warm care of a relevant organ," KCNA said.

In 2005, the KCNA said a man sailed through a volley of bullets to defect to the DPRK. A military spokesman in Seoul said at the time the man's family suspected he was drunk.

Questions:

1. What does Kang Tong-rim do for a living?

2. When was the last defection across the border?

3. Why are the DPRK and the ROK technically at war?

Answers:

1. He worked at Samsung Electronics' semiconductor unit and more recently at a pig farm.

2. It likely took place about four years ago.

3. Because they never replaced the armistice ending their 1950-53 conflict with a peace treaty.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.