SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- A soldier from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), who was rescued by South Korean Navy, was repatriated to his home country on Wednesday through an inter-Korean truce village, an official said.

    The army sergeant returned through the Panmunjom Village in the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas, with presence of military personnel from both sides, the South Korean defense official said.

    The soldier was spotted by the South Korean navy after his boat drifted south of the border in the west sea, one mile northwest of Yeonpyeong Island, according to a press release on Tuesday.

    While interviewing with United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission and members of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, the soldier expressed his desire to be repatriated to the DPRK.