A North Korean man who crossed the inter-Korean border earlier this month did so with the intention to defect, according to South Korea’s unification ministry, marking the first confirmed defection over the land border in almost a year.

“Regarding a North Korean who crossed the Military Demarcation Line in the central-western front-line area on the 3rd of this month, the Ministry of Unification participated in a joint government investigation, confirmed their intention to defect and is currently carrying out procedures,” the ministry said in a statement to NK News on Thursday.

The government’s announcement comes after weeks of investigating the