Home

The Korea Herald

Latest news

Most Popular

  1. 1

    IMF lowers Korea's 2025 growth outlook to 2%

    IMF lowers Korea's 2025 growth outlook to 2%
  2. 2

    Labor Ministry dismisses Hanni harassment case

    Labor Ministry dismisses Hanni harassment case
  3. 3

    North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia, NIS confirms

    North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia, NIS confirms
  4. 4

    Reality show 'I Live Alone' disciplined for 'glorifying' alcohol consumption

    Reality show 'I Live Alone' disciplined for 'glorifying' alcohol consumption
  5. 5

    [Herald Interview] How Gopizza got big in India

    [Herald Interview] How Gopizza got big in India
  1. 6

    Japan to hold 1st memorial for Korean forced labor victims at Sado mine

    Japan to hold 1st memorial for Korean forced labor victims at Sado mine
  2. 7

    Yoon focuses on expanding global solidarity against NK-Russia military ties at APEC, G20 summits

    Yoon focuses on expanding global solidarity against NK-Russia military ties at APEC, G20 summits
  3. 8

    [KH Explains] Dissecting Hyundai Motor's lobbying in US

    [KH Explains] Dissecting Hyundai Motor's lobbying in US
  4. 9

    [Graphic News] 70% of S. Koreans believe couples can live together without tying the knot: survey

    [Graphic News] 70% of S. Koreans believe couples can live together without tying the knot: survey
  5. 10

    Now is no time to add pressure on businesses: top executives

    Now is no time to add pressure on businesses: top executives
지나쌤

S. Korea to send back home 8 rescued N. Koreans this week

By a2017001

Published : June 28, 2017 - 11:15

    • Link copied

South Korea said Wednesday it plans to repatriate eight recently rescued North Korean fishermen across the de facto maritime border in waters off the country's east coast this week.

Earlier in the day, the government notified North Korea of its plan to send them back Thursday, but North Korea did not respond, according to the Ministry of Unification.

A ship carrying the North Koreans was found drifting near Ulleung Island in the East Sea on June 23 suffering from an engine breakdown. All of them voiced their wishes to go home.

(Yonhap) (Yonhap)

The ministry said that it will once again notify the North of its plan later in the day, with the help from the United Nations commission in charge of supervising the inter-Korean armistice.

"As the ship (is fixed), the South Korean Coast Guard plans to hand them over to North Korea across the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea at around 9:00 a.m. Thursday," Lee Duk-haeng, ministry spokesman, told a regular press briefing.

As North Korea cut off two inter-Korean communication channels last year, Seoul uses loudspeakers installed along the inter-Korean border or gets help from the UN commission when it notifies the North of its plans to repatriate rescued North Koreans.

South Korea has sent back fishermen who drifted into its waters in the past after making certain they did not wish to defect.

South Korea has rescued North Korean ships going astray on five occasions so far this year. Thirteen fishermen were sent back home and two chose to defect to South Korea, the ministry said.

South and North Korea are technically still at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. (Yonhap)

More from Headlines