The North Korean soldier who was gravely wounded during his frantic defection from the North last week has regained consciousness and is now able to communicate with medical staff.
According to Ajou University Hospital, the soldier has recovered enough to make light conversation with hospital staff and is expected to move out of intensive care into a regular ward this weekend.
Dr. Lee Kook-jong briefed reporters about the soldier's condition on Thursday. The defector is 25 years old and has been identified by his surname Oh. He weighs around 60 kg and is 170 cm tall, which is about 6 cm taller than the average North Korean his age.
Oh said he defected voluntarily and has positive views about South Korea after watching South Korean TV programs and Hollywood films. He said he is a fan of K-pop band Girls' Generation and watched the action film series "The Transporter."
But details about his decision remain unclear. He was a driver for the North Korean military and was spending his eighth year as a conscript. He apparently wanted to be a lawyer.
When medical staff told him that he had received transfusions of more than 12,000 ml of blood from South Korean donors that saved his life, he replied, "Thank you," according to Lee.
Medical staff played him South Korean movies and music in the intensive care unit to stimulate his senses but kept North Korea-related news off limits.
Oh is able to drink water, and hospital staff will gradually feed him rice gruel. "He is holding up well, perhaps because of his paramilitary training, and his rate of recovery is faster than other patients," Lee said. "But we can't let our guard down."
Lee said the parasites found in Oh's intestines can be fought with drugs since he can now drink. But he added Oh is showing signs of depression due to the massive trauma he suffered during his defection and will at some stage have tests for post-traumatic stress disorder.
He is being given drugs to fortify his liver due to the massive blood infusion and hepatitis. Lee said Oh could require more surgery in the future because of the bullet wounds he suffered in his arm and other parts of the body.
