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The North Korean soldier who defected south last year is a general's son, but says most northern residents his age are not loyal to Kim Jong Un, according to a Japanese newspaper.
The dramatic race of Oh Chong Song across the border into the village of Panmunjom truce in the demilitarized zone – under the fire of his comrades – made the headlines of the press this year and hospitalized him with serious injuries.
It is very rare for northern troops to defect at Panmunjom, a major tourist attraction and the only place on the border where forces on both sides face each other.
Mr. Oh, 25, is the son of a major-general, reported the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun, during the defender's first interview with the media.
Despite his privileged birth – he has described himself as a "superior class" – he has not alleged allegiance to Northern leaders.
"In the North, people, and especially the younger generation, are indifferent to one another, between politics and their leaders, and there is no sense of loyalty."
He was "indifferent" to Kim Jong Un's regime, the third generation of the Kim family to rule the North, and had no interest in what his friends thought.
"Probably 80% of my generation is indifferent and has no loyalty," he said.
"It is natural not to have any interest or loyalty since the hereditary system is taken for granted, regardless of its inability to feed people."
Oh denied the news in the South that he was wanted for murder in the North.
After unspecified trouble with friends, the Sankei said that he had started drinking. Returning to his post, he crossed a checkpoint and, fearing to be executed, decided to continue.
"I was afraid of being executed if I returned to the country, so I crossed the border," he said, adding that he did not regret having falsified the place.
The newspaper said that Japanese intelligence services had confirmed the identity of Oh.
A short clip posted by the Sankei Shimbun on his website shows him wearing a black jacket and a white top, speaking with a slight North Korean accent. His face is not revealed.
The geopolitical landscape around the Korean peninsula has changed dramatically since last year, when US President Donald Trump threatened to rain "fire and fury" on North Korea, armed with the weapon nuclear.
"I really felt we were on the verge of war with the United States," said Mr. Oh. "The tension (that I felt) flowed from the top."
At present, a rapid rapprochement has taken place on the peninsula and troops from the border truce village where he has defected must be disarmed.
Oh said that he understands the old comrades who shot him.
"If they did not fire, they would be heavily punished," he said. "So if I were them, I would have done the same thing."
