A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea across the eastern land border, Saturday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

South Korean border guards detected the soldier crossing the military demarcation line at 7:56 a.m. with their surveillance equipment, the JCS said.

"Related agencies plan to question him regarding the details of how he came to the South," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters, adding that there were no "special activities" by the North Korean army on the border.

"Following the demolition of guard posts by the South and North, our security operations on the border have had no problem," a JCS official said. "The soldier is safely in our custody."

This is the first defection since the two Koreas completely each destroyed 10 border guard posts, and completed demining a ridge in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Friday. (Yonhap)