The refugee who returned to the North Korean border town of Kaesong on July 19 does not appear to be infested with the coronavirus, South Korean health authorities said Monday.
On Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Kaesong decided to lockdown after it was revealed that the man, who had fled North Korea three years earlier, would show virus symptoms.
“The person is not registered as a Covid-19 patient, nor is it classified as a person who has come into contact with virus patients,” said Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health officer, at a news conference.
Yoon said virus tests were conducted on two people who had close contact with the defector, and both were found not to have the lung virus among the members.
The South Korean army announces that the defector has swum across the border of the western border island of Gwanghwa after passing through a drain under barbed wire fences to evade South Korean border guards.