Gymnast flees North Korea by vaulting over border

And other stories from the stranger side of life

South Korean soldiers guard the Demilitarised Zone at Panmunjom
(Image credit: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

A gymnast in North Korea escaped to the South by vaulting himself over the border barricades without triggering sensors. When he was eventually caught, the authorities were so stunned by his method that they asked him to demonstrate it, according to the BBC's Seoul correspondent. The border zone is 2.5 miles wide, 160 miles long and is mined along its entire length.

Conspiracy theorists say Wyoming doesn’t exist

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us