South Korea's defense ministry on Monday dismissed speculation that the military might have glorified the response to the defection of an apparent North Korean soldier via Panmunjom a week earlier.

The commander of the South Korean guard unit at the Joint Security Area of the truce village and two other officers crawled on their stomachs to rescue the man hit by multiple gunshots while fleeing the North, according to the South's military authorities.

But a news report said there was no commander spotted at the scene, citing footage from a thermal observation device at the JSA.

"He was there. What (we) said clearly is that the battalion commander and two other officers conducted the rescue operation under his command," Moon Sang-gyun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, told reporters.

He would not provide details, saying the ministry would do so once the ongoing investigation is complete.

The United Nations Command, which is in charge of the probe, has refused to release a related CCTV clip despite repeated media requests.

In 2004, the South's Army took over the daily security duty at the JSA from the United States, a key player in the UNC. Around 28,500 American troops are stationed in the South as well.

The UNC maintains authority over the use of force at the JSA, as the South's unit there operates jointly with a team of US soldiers, both led by Army officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

The UNC confirmed its determination to wrap up the investigation as early as possible.

"Chances are high that (we) will announce the outcome within this month. It is expected to be next week," a UNC spokesperson said. "(Relevant) footage will be released as well."

The command formally describes the North's defector as an individual presumed to be a member of the North's armed forces.

He was shot five times by the communist nation's border guards, making a desperate dash to the South. He remains unconscious while being treated at a local hospital.

The North's soldiers fired more than 40 shots while chasing after him, and at least one of them is suspected to have trespassed across the military demarcation line.

Some of the shots crossed the border, but the South's guards did not return fire in accordance with the UNC-set rules of engagement. (Yonhap)