South Korea repatriates 6 rescued North Koreans across sea border
July 9 (UPI) -- South Korea on Wednesday repatriated six North Koreans across the maritime border in the East Sea, months after they drifted into southern waters and were rescued.
A repaired wooden boat carrying the North Koreans crossed the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas, at 8:56 a.m., Seoul's Unification Ministry said in a statement to reporters.
"A North Korean patrol boat was at the handover point at the time of repatriation, and the North Korean vessel returned on its own," the ministry said in the statement.
"During the repatriation process, we repeatedly confirmed the North Korean residents' free will to return, and cooperated with relevant organizations to safely protect the North Korean residents until repatriation," the ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Koo Byoung-sam said earlier this week that Seoul's intention was to "repatriate them quickly and safely from a humanitarian standpoint."
In May, South Korea's military and coast guard rescued four North Koreans who were drifting in a small boat in the East Sea around 60 miles south of the Northern Limit Line. A pair of North Korean nationals were also rescued under similar circumstances in the Yellow Sea in March.
In a background briefing with reporters on Wednesday, a ministry official confirmed that North Korea never responded to notification efforts about the repatriation plan. The South reached out repeatedly via the U.S.-led United Nations Command, whose duties include controlling DMZ access and communicating with the North Korean military.
Seoul informed Pyongyang of the repatriation time and location through the UNC channel, and the North Korean boats appeared without prior notice, the ministry official said.
North Korea has completely cut off communications with the South in recent years as tensions remain high on the Peninsula.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has made an effort to improve inter-Korean relations since taking office last month and has pledged to restore a military hotline that the North has not responded to since 2023. He recently ordered the suspension of propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at the DMZ in an effort to lower tensions in the border area.
Seoul's Unification Ministry also recently used a press briefing to request that the North give advance notice before releasing water from a dam across the border. Ministry spokeswoman Chang Yoon-jeong called the public appeal a form of "indirect communication" with Pyongyang.
South Korean authorities are currently investigating a North Korean man who crossed the heavily fortified land border between the two Koreas and was taken into custody by the South's military. The man identified himself as a civilian, officials said, but they have not confirmed whether he intends to defect to the South.
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