Earlier this month the soldier, identified only by his surname Oh, fled across the border from North Korea into South Korea.
He was shot several times by fellow soldiers at the DMZ before being rescued by South Korean agents.
Oh was forced to undergo emergency surgery, during which shocked doctors discovered huge 10-inch long parasites.
These parasitic worms reveal the true extent of malnourishment in the world’s most secretive society, experts have since revealed.
Choi Min-ho of Seoul National University College of Medicine said the parasites, one which was most commonly found in dogs, highlighted horrific conditions in North Korea.
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He told CNN the worms were usually transmitted after contact with faeces or unwashed hands. While they are usually easily treated with medicine, North Koreans typically do not have access to even basic drugs to deal with infections.
Mr Choi said: “It is a vicious cycle that is hard to stop in North Korea. They are so desperate to make ends meet that they cannot take proper preventive measures.
“For those who can eat well and are healthy, parasitic infections might not be a big deal. But for those malnourished, this can be much more critical as parasites steal much-needed nutrition.”
This sentiment was echoed by Kang Ri Kyuk, another defector.
He said: “There are many soldiers who also die from disease because they’re not given medical treatment.
“Everyone was hungry, even the soldiers. The UN is sending rice and fertilizer and it all goes to the ranking officials under Kim Jong-Un.”
The doctors who carried out the surgery on Oh were shocked by the size of the parasites they found.
Lee Cook-Jong said: “In my 20 years as a surgeon, I have only seen something like this in a medical textbook.”
Oh was also discovered to have hepatitis B, something usually transmitted through unsterilised needles or by sexual activity.
The soldier escaped across the border in a daring flight captured on CCTV camera.
Footage shows Oh speeding towards the Joint Security Area (JSA), where both North Korea and South Korean soldiers operate.
After crashing his vehicle into a jeep he fled on foot during the final part of his escape, as a group of fellow soldiers stopped short of the invisible demarcation line and opened fire.
Despite being shot several times, Oh made it to a shelter where he was rescued under the cover of darkness by South Korean forces.
Defections across the Korean border itself are incredibly rare due to the danger involved. More defectors escape into Russia or China before making the long journey to south-east Asia, where they will not be handed back to North Korea.