Two South Koreans and 15 Russians yesterday returned to South Korea about 10 days after their boat drifted into North Korean waters, Seoul officials said.
The crew members were aboard a Russia-flagged fishing boat when it was detained by North Korea on July 17. The ship had been on its way to Russia after leaving South Korea’s eastern Sokcho port.
The South Korean Ministry of Unification said in a statement that the crew arrived aboard the same boat at Sokcho port yesterday, a day after they left the North’s Wonsan port.
Photo: AP
Details of how they were detained, treated and repatriated were unclear as the ministry said that North Korea has not informed South Korea of its decision to release the crew.
The ministry said it learned of the boat’s departure from Wonsan on Saturday through various channels that it refused to disclose.
The ministry statement said it “positively” assessed the North’s repatriation of the crew members.
Ties between the Koreas remain cool amid a lack of progress in US-led diplomacy aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear program.
Seoul said that North Korea is holding six other South Koreans it has arrested in the past few years on anti-state and other charges.
Fishing boats drift across the Koreas’ eastern sea border in both directions.
Earlier yesterday, South Korea’s military said a North Korean wooden fishing boat carrying three people crossed the maritime border on Saturday night, prompting a South Korean navy ship to tow it to a South Korean port.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North Koreans were under investigation.
South Korea typically returns North Korean fishers unless they are suspected of espionage.
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