A North Korean soldier defected Thursday after crossing the border and entering South Korea, according to a press release from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The South Korean military says the soldier crossed the mid-eastern portion of the Military Demarcation Line – which is located inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two countries – at 10 a.m. local time.
It’s not clear how or why he defected, but the South Korean military said it will investigate.
The soldier’s defection follows that of a senior diplomat who abandoned his post at the country’s embassy in the United Kingdom in August.
North Korea: Diplomat who defected to South Korea a ‘criminal’
The defection comes amid a particularly tense time in North-South relations.
North Korea has flexed its military might frequently throughout 2016, conducting exercises and military tests at a faster pace than usual.
The zenith was reached earlier this month after North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test ever – and second this year – prompting widespread condemnation from most of the international community.
CNN’s Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report