The Chinese government confirmed Wednesday that a runaway soldier from North Korea who killed four Chinese citizens is dead, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
"Chinese police immediately arrested him after the incident. The deserter was injured during the process and died after treatment failed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying in Beijing.
The North Korean runaway soldier reportedly killed four Chinese citizens last month during a robbery after he crossed the border into China in search of food.
Calling it an individual criminal case, Hong said both China and North Korea have paid great attention to the case. Beijing has already lodged representations to Pyongyang. "North Korea expressed regret over the incident and extended sympathies to the families of the victims," Hong said, adding that departments in charge of the case in the two countries are conducting a follow-up investigation and dealing with the aftermath.