South Korean soldiers stand guard at the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea, May 9, 2023. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)

Two of the 10 South Korean soldiers who helped secure a North Korean man inside the Demilitarized Zone earlier this month were granted 30 days of leave, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday.

All 10 troops will receive commendations for their actions on July 3, when a North Korean man crossed the midwestern section of the heavily fortified border dividing the Korean Peninsula, a Joint Chiefs spokeswoman said by phone Thursday.

The group included two conscripts, who received the additional leave, and eight officers and noncommissioned officers, she said.

South Korean forces deployed to interdict the man, who identified himself as a civilian, the South’s military said at the time. He was removed from the DMZ and remains under investigation.

Under South Korean law, all able-bodied adult males are required to serve in the military or in certain government agencies for at least 18 months. Conscripts are typically granted about 20 days of leave during their service but may earn additional time off for merit-based accomplishments.

In a similar case in 2017, two South Korean and four American soldiers received the U.S. Army Commendation Medal after rescuing a North Korean defector under gunfire.

South Korean officials customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity.