The man was apprehended on Tuesday on the Unification Bridge, which divides the two Koreas. He smashed the bus into a barricade despite orders from the military to stop.
Since the Korean peninsula was split more than 70 years ago, about 34,000 North Koreans have fled to the South; nevertheless, defectors who wish to go back to the North are uncommon.
According to South Korean media, the man, who is in his 30s, told police he had wished to go back home after running into problems in the South. He apparently departed North Korea a good ten years ago.
He was apprehended thirty minutes after he allegedly stole the bus from a garage in the northern city of Paju on Tuesday at 1:00 local time, or 16:00 GMT on Monday.
The man in the hat was captured on camera in the garage attempting to unlock many cars before making it into the bus.
According to reports, he was not determined to have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the occurrence.
According to South Korean daily The Dong-A Ilbo, the man informed authorities that he had racked up multiple unpaid fines. He had previously worked as a day laborer in Paju and other towns.
According to South Korean legislation, anyone, even defectors, cannot enter the North without permission from the government.
