N. Korean fishing boat stranded in East Sea, returned home

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean fishing boat was found adrift in South Korean waters off the East Coast on Tuesday and was sent back to its country on humanitarian grounds, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The boat carrying six crewmen, was spotted by a South Korean naval vessel in waters some 5 kilometers south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea, near the country's eastern port city of Sokcho, at around 1:15 p.m. due to an engine problem, according to the JCS.

As the six crew members aboard expressed their intention of returning home and North Korea asked for their rescue and repatriation, the South Korean military sent them back to the North at around 7:08 p.m. on humanitarian grounds, the JCS added.

The NLL is the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)