|
The
soldier, whose rank and identity have not been disclosed, was
flown by helicopter to hospital on Monday after his escape to
South Korea in a hail of bullets fired by North Korean soldiers.
Wednesday's surgery was "successful" in terms of staunching
bleeding and the soldier had "stabilized much", said Lee
Cook-jong, the surgeon in charge of his treatment.
However, he remained unconscious and was not out of the woods,
as complications from a severe hip fracture and possible
infection remained major concerns, Lee said.
"We will be able to tell you after about 10 days," Lee told
reporters at a briefing, when asked about the soldier's chances
of surviving.
On Tuesday, government and military officials said the soldier
was in critical condition but doctors expected him to live.
The soldier made his escape in a border "peace village" on the
heavily guarded demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.
At first, he sped toward the border in a four-wheel drive
vehicle but was forced to abandon it and flee on foot when one
of its wheels came loose, South Korean officials said earlier.
He was hit by about seven bullets before he took cover behind a
South Korean structure in a Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the
demilitarized zone.
Doctors removed five bullets from him earlier and one more on
Wednesday.
North Korea has remained silent on the issue, while no unusual
activity has been detected at the border where the soldier
defected, the South's Unification Ministry said.
"There will need to be some questioning on why he defected after
his treatment is over," ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told a
regular briefing.
Monday was the first time since 2007 a North Korean soldier had
defected across the JSA.
(Reporting by Christine Kim and Joyce Lee; Additional reporting
by Hyunjoo Jin and Yuna Park; Editing by Clarence Fernandez,
Robert Birsel)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
