A missed delivery notice is attached to the door of an apartment in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, belonging to a North Korean defector who is suspected of having fled to the North while police were investigating rape allegations made against him earlier this month. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

The South Korean military and police are facing criticism for failing to notice that a North Korean defector had returned to the North, only becoming aware after the situation was reported by North Korean state media.

The military failed to prevent the border crossing, and the police neglected to properly manage the defector, whose identity has not yet been confirmed. However, both the police and the military believe the defector in question is a man surnamed Kim, 24, who has been under police investigation following sexual violence allegations against him.

"The combat readiness inspection office of the JCS is checking the military's overall readiness and other conditions including if surveillance equipment and video recording were operating correctly," the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, hours after the defector's return was known, Sunday.

The military is currently investigating the details of the incident, including the specific route of Kim's return to the North. The military suspects he swam across the border from Ganghwa Island in Incheon to the North after going through a drain under barbed wire fences.

The Han River is seen from Ganghwa County, Incheon, Monday. A North Korean defector who fled to the North is suspected of having swum across the river. Yonhap