North Korean defector ‘excellent man,’ recuperating from wounds, surgeon says

SEOUL — North Korea's newest defector, a young soldier universal most effective via his household identify Oh, is a quiet, fulfilling man who has nightmares about being again to the North, his surgeon stated on Thursday.

"he is a fine looking quality man," referred to lead surgeon John cook-Jong Lee, who has been working and caring for the 24-year-historical. Oh has become a focus of global consideration after he was badly wounded with the aid of fellow North Korean troopers as he scrambled across the border in the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South on Nov. 13.

Video of Oh's break out launched on Wednesday showed him stumbling over the border and being dragged unconscious through the undergrowth by using South Korean troops.

Lee has been virtually the simplest grownup to communicate with Oh due to the fact he arrived at the medical institution, he instructed Reuters in an interview at his workplace at Ajou university clinic, just just a few flooring far from the place the defector lies guarded with the aid of South Korean special forces and intelligence officers.

The surgeon, who has hung a South Korean flag within the soldier's room, spoke of he is warding off subjects that may disturb his patient. Oh is consuming his first "clear liquid" food such as broths, and may smile, talk, and use his arms, Lee mentioned. but when his patient woke on Sunday he cried out in ache, and Lee observed he is nonetheless anxious concerning the South Korean guards.

Lee observed Oh informed him that he had joined the North Korean army when he became 17, correct after secondary school graduation. The soldier's hair is styled "like a jarhead, like a U.S. Marine, so I basically joked 'why don't you be part of the South Korean Marines?' He smiled and mentioned that he would certainly not ever go lower back to the defense force gadget again."

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medical groups have worked for days to get rid of the shards of as a minimum 4 bullets from Oh's physique, sew up his shredded organs, and treat pre-present conditions including tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and a case of massive intestinal worms, Lee spoke of.

"he's a fairly powerful man," pointed out Lee.

on the grounds that Oh's defection, North Korea seemed to have changed all its security guards on the border, an intelligence source in the South instructed Yonhap information agency on Thursday.

Lee mentioned that once the defector arrived in an American armed forces helicopter at the sanatorium — which is outfitted with state-of-the-paintings diagnostic machine and is used to treat VIP company comparable to traveling U.S. presidents — he came with zero personal advice.

On the flight in, American army flight medics had fought to preserve Oh alive, jabbing a big needle into his chest to treat a collapsed lung.

Oh became instantly wheeled right into a diagnostic room the place docs validated he become affected by large inner bleeding. "We knew then that we did not have time to hesitate," Lee pointed out, standing in that room Thursday evening.

Lee prepare dinner-jong, a surgeon at Ajou tuition hospital, attends a press conference on the health center in Suwon, south of Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 22, 2017, to communicate concerning the condition of a North Korean soldier who changed into shot and wounded by fellow troopers whereas defecting to South Korea. YONHAP / EPA

Two predominant surgeries had been required to get rid of the bullets and patch Oh again collectively, and the medical crew pumped as a lot as 12 liters of latest blood into his physique. The average physique has lower than half as a whole lot blood.

"He told me that he's so thankful for South Koreans for saving his lifestyles and giving him that a whole lot blood," Lee spoke of.

Lee has been enjoying South Korean pop music and American films and television suggests for his affected person, but has no longer exposed him to any news insurance.

among the indicates, Oh confirmed a liking for the French-American thriller "Transporter 3," comedy "Bruce Almighty" starring Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman; and the crime-fixing tv collection "CSI," Lee mentioned.

Most North Korean defectors undergo safety questioning through South Korea's intelligence agency as soon as they arrive in the South before being sent to a resettlement center for a three-month training on lifestyles in the South. After they're launched, vital and local governments give 7 million received ($6,450) in money over a year, as well as guide in housing, education and job working towards.

law enforcement officials are assigned to each of the defectors to make sure their protection and protection.

however Oh absolutely recovers, some scars will reside for the rest of his life, the surgeon said.

among the many most lasting wounds may be the harm to his colon, which become shredded by a bullet and had to be stitched returned collectively in seven places. "it's a lifelong complication for the patient, so he is greater to be very cautious in his food regimen," referred to the surgeon.

anyway the advantage for further medical issues, Lee says he is most involved about making bound Oh recovers psychologically. The soldier has already informed him he had a nightmare about being back to the North.

The surgeon noted he has asked senior South Korean militia officials who're wanting to question the soldier to dangle off whereas he recovers.

"This North Korean man is not going any place," Lee spoke of. "he is staying in South Korea. So we do not deserve to be hasty."