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Two North Koreans aboard wooden boat discovered in South Korean waters in early March, military officials say

Published: 21 Mar. 2025, 09:39

Coast Guard vessels are seen in the water on June 7, 2024. [NEWS1]

Coast Guard vessels are seen in the water on June 7, 2024. [NEWS1]

Two North Koreans aboard a wooden boat drifting in the Yellow Sea were discovered earlier this month and are now under questioning, military officials said Friday.

The military took the two men into custody after a P-3 maritime patrol aircraft discovered the boat in waters 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of the Eocheong Island, south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto inter-Korean maritime border, on March 7.

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The two men are believed to have likely crossed into South Korean waters accidentally and haven't clearly expressed their intent to defect to South Korea, as they have been under a joint probe with authorities.

The government is currently reviewing measures to communicate with North Korea on their possible repatriation if they wish to return, considering inter-Korean hotlines have remained severed since April 2023.

Yonhap

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