After its wheel apparently came loose, the soldier, clad in a Korean People's Army uniform, exited it and dashed toward the South.

Four North Korean guards, armed with pistols and rifles, immediately pursued him several meters behind, opening fire.

The defector was shot five times, with some of the gunshots flying over the MDL. A North Korean guard also crossed the MDL for a few seconds then returned to the North's side.

The UNC stressed that the North Korean troops' acts were in breach of the Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War.

"The key findings of the special investigation team are that the KPA violated the Armistice Agreement by one, firing weapons across the MDL, and two, by actually crossing the MDL temporarily," US Army Col. Chad Carroll, UNC's public affairs chief, said at a briefing.

Separate footage from a thermal observation device showed three members of South Korea's JSA security battalion forces -- a deputy commander and two noncommissioned officers -- crawling on their stomachs to recover the wounded defector lying against a wall.

"I think it's important to note that that point in this area of the JSA is exposed to a KPA checkpoint from where they are," Carroll said. 

Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the UNC commander, said the battalion personnel's actions were appropriate.

He cited the investigation involving representatives from the US, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, which was observed by members from Sweden and Switzerland of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.

"After thoroughly reviewing the investigation results, I assess the actions taken by the UNC Security Battalion were in a manner that is consistent with the Armistice Agreement, namely -- to respect the Demilitarized Zone and to take actions that deter a resumption of hostilities," Brooks said in a statement. "The armistice agreement was challenged but it remains in place."

The command notified the North's military of the violations earlier in the day and requested a meeting to discuss the issue.

"UNC personnel read out the results of the probe close to the MDL at the JSA. The North's troops approached close and videotaped almost all of the situation," a UNC official said.

Meanwhile, the defector, reportedly in his 20s, went through two rounds of surgery at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, south of Seoul.

He has regained consciousness, according to his doctor Lee Cook-jong.

"Currently, the patient is clearly conscious," he said in a press briefing. "The patient is suffering severe psychological stress and melancholy due to gunshot wounds and two major surgeries."

He will have to be treated at an emergency room at least for several more days, and a trauma-related medical examination is necessary, Lee added.