ID :
200840
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 10:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/200840
The shortlink copeid
7 N. Koreans on board 3 boats rescued in Yellow Sea
(ATTN: CHANGES headline; RECASTS lead; UPDATES with details, background throughout)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Seven North Korean fishermen on board three boats were rescued near the tense Yellow Sea border between the Koreas on Thursday, prompting South Korea's military to question four of the crewmen and return the other three, an official said Friday.
Two of the boats, carrying two crewmen each, were found sinking about 6 kilometers south of the maritime border near the South Korean island of Baengnyeong, according to the official from the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The men were scooping water out of the 1.5-ton barges, which were left to sink after the rescue, the official said on the condition of anonymity.
The fishermen, whose identities have yet to be confirmed, were taken to relevant organizations to be questioned about their will to defect, the official added.
More than 20,000 North Koreans have defected to the South to avoid chronic hunger and political oppression since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire. Citizens from both Koreas are not allowed to travel to the other side without government approval, and the land border between the two is among the world's most heavily fortified.
A third fishing vessel was found drifting in waters some 4.5 km south of the same sea border later in the day, but its three crewmembers were sent back after being supplied with fuel.
"It appears that they drifted while fishing, but we'll have to find out the details through an investigation," the official said, adding that visibility was poor due to fog.
"We verified that the crew we sent back had no intentions of defecting and (our policy is to) return fishing vessels that do not trespass intentionally on humanitarian grounds," the official said. "For now, it isn't clear why several boats crossed the border (simultaneously)."
It is not uncommon for North Koreans to stray south of the border in the sea due to bad weather or a malfunction in their boats. A group of 31 North Koreans drifted aboard a troubled wooden vessel in February, prompting Seoul to allow four of the crewmembers to remain in accordance with their wishes. North Korea accused the South of forcing them into defection, a charge denied by Seoul. The other 27 crewmembers were repatriated to the North.
Baengnyeong Island is the closest island to the site where a South Korean warship sank in March last year, killing 46 sailors on board. A multinational investigation accused North Korea of torpedoing the 1,200-ton Cheonan, but the North continues to deny any involvement.
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Seven North Korean fishermen on board three boats were rescued near the tense Yellow Sea border between the Koreas on Thursday, prompting South Korea's military to question four of the crewmen and return the other three, an official said Friday.
Two of the boats, carrying two crewmen each, were found sinking about 6 kilometers south of the maritime border near the South Korean island of Baengnyeong, according to the official from the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The men were scooping water out of the 1.5-ton barges, which were left to sink after the rescue, the official said on the condition of anonymity.
The fishermen, whose identities have yet to be confirmed, were taken to relevant organizations to be questioned about their will to defect, the official added.
More than 20,000 North Koreans have defected to the South to avoid chronic hunger and political oppression since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire. Citizens from both Koreas are not allowed to travel to the other side without government approval, and the land border between the two is among the world's most heavily fortified.
A third fishing vessel was found drifting in waters some 4.5 km south of the same sea border later in the day, but its three crewmembers were sent back after being supplied with fuel.
"It appears that they drifted while fishing, but we'll have to find out the details through an investigation," the official said, adding that visibility was poor due to fog.
"We verified that the crew we sent back had no intentions of defecting and (our policy is to) return fishing vessels that do not trespass intentionally on humanitarian grounds," the official said. "For now, it isn't clear why several boats crossed the border (simultaneously)."
It is not uncommon for North Koreans to stray south of the border in the sea due to bad weather or a malfunction in their boats. A group of 31 North Koreans drifted aboard a troubled wooden vessel in February, prompting Seoul to allow four of the crewmembers to remain in accordance with their wishes. North Korea accused the South of forcing them into defection, a charge denied by Seoul. The other 27 crewmembers were repatriated to the North.
Baengnyeong Island is the closest island to the site where a South Korean warship sank in March last year, killing 46 sailors on board. A multinational investigation accused North Korea of torpedoing the 1,200-ton Cheonan, but the North continues to deny any involvement.
