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Miami Herald
7 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
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. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
7 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
South Korea repatriates 6 rescued North Koreans across sea border
South Korea repatriated six rescued North Koreans by sea Wednesday, sending them across the maritime border on their repaired wooden boat. Photo courtesy of South Korea Ministry of Unification 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.
Korea Herald
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea repatriates 6 N. Koreans rescued at sea across eastern maritime border
South Korea on Wednesday repatriated six North Koreans via the maritime border in the East Sea, months after they had drifted into southern waters and were rescued. A wooden boat carrying them, all fishermen, crossed the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border, at around 9 a.m., according to an official at South Korea's unification ministry. The boat headed on its own toward two North Korea ships waiting on the other side, and the three ships subsequently moved northward, the official said. In May, South Korea rescued four North Koreans aboard a ship who had drifted into the South Korean side of the East Sea, following a similar case in March in which two North Koreans were rescued in the Yellow Sea. All of them expressed a wish to go back to the North. Ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam has cited humanitarian grounds as he reaffirmed the plan to return them safety and promptly earlier this week. All of them reportedly expressed a wish to go back to their home country. (Yonhap)
UPI
07-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Seoul confirms plans to repatriate 6 North Koreans rescued at sea
Seoul's Unification Ministry confirmed on Monday that it planned to repatriate six North Korean fishermen who were rescued at sea after crossing the inter-Korean maritime border. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo July 7 (UPI) -- South Korea's Unification Ministry confirmed reports on Monday that the government plans to repatriate six North Koreans who were rescued at sea on the southern side of the maritime border, despite a lack of contact with Pyongyang. "All six North Korean residents rescued from the East and Yellow Seas are actively hoping to return to North Korea, so the government's position is to repatriate them quickly and safely from a humanitarian standpoint," ministry spokesman Koo Byoung-sam said at a press briefing. The remarks came in response to local media reports that Seoul was planning to repatriate the North Koreans as early as this week. 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, the de facto inter-Korean maritime border. A pair of North Korean nationals were also rescued under similar circumstances in the Yellow Sea in March. Sending the rescued North Koreans home across the land border requires approval and coordination via the United Nations Command. The U.S.-led UNC plays a key role in maintaining and enforcing the armistice agreement that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, with duties that include controlling DMZ access and communicating with the North Korean military. However, the North has not responded to the command's attempts to contact it regarding the repatriation, according to media reports. In May 2017, while inter-Korean communication was suspended, the South repatriated six rescued North Korean fishermen by repairing their boat and sending them back across the Northern Limit Line. The Unification Ministry's Koo on Monday would not confirm plans to repatriate the current group of North Koreans by sea. 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. Last week, a North Korean man who identified himself as a civilian crossed the heavily fortified land border between the two Koreas and was taken into custody by the South's military.
Korea Herald
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
First foreign runners since 2019 hit Pyongyang, stirring hopes of North Korea reopening
North Korea opened its doors to foreign participants at the Pyongyang International Marathon on Sunday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a six-year hiatus. The event has drawn attention to whether the opening is a symbolic gesture toward a broader move to reopen the country to foreign tourism on a full scale. North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that the 31st Pyongyang International Marathon was held to mark the anniversary of the country's late founder Kim Il-sung's birth, which falls on April 15. 'The event featured full marathon, half marathon, 10km, and 5km races, and included athletes from North Korea, China, Romania, Morocco, and Ethiopia, as well as marathon enthusiasts from various countries and regions around the world,' KCNA said in a Korean-language dispatch. In the elite marathon race, North Korean runners swept the boards with the men's and women's titles going to home-based competitors. The host country also swept the podium at the half marathon, taking gold, silver and bronze in both men's and women's events. Among amateur competitors, Polish runners swept the top three spots in the men's marathon, while a Hong Kong competitor took the women's amateur event, KCNA added. 'Around 200 foreign athletes from 46 countries are said to have participated, raising attention to whether this could signal the full resumption of foreign tourism,' Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson for the Unification Ministry, said of the marathon during a regular press briefing Monday. 'There was a recent case where North Korea resumed tourism for foreigners, only to suspend it again. The fact that the Pyongyang marathon race was held as scheduled under such circumstances is deemed as North Korea's intention to resume tourism to foreign visitors," Koo added. The marathon took place about a month after North Korea abruptly closed the special economic zone in the northeastern border city of Rason to foreign tourists — excluding South Korean and US citizens — in early March, following a brief reopening that began on Feb. 20. Rason was the first region in the country to reopen to tourism during the pandemic. Young Pioneer Tours, an independent tourism agency specializing in tours to North Korea, said the country remains officially closed to tourism as of Sunday, however. Koryo Tours, the sole foreign operator licensed to register amateur entrants, said Sunday that this year's 2025 Pyongyang Marathon took place on the same day, and over 500 participants took the capital's roads. 'Among them were around 200 international amateur runners, making this one of the most diverse editions yet — with many countries represented,' Koryo Tours, an independent British tour operator based in Beijing, said on its website. According to a list of medal winners put together by Koryo Tours, the elite category featured athletes from at least two countries — North Korea and Ethiopia. The amateur races drew participants from at least 13 countries: Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Macau, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain and the United Kingdom. Professional runners were invited by North Korean authorities in accordance with strict qualifying times, according to a previous notice from North Korea's Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports. But amateur participants had different registration procedures: those from East and Southeast Asia, except for Singapore and Hong Kong, registered through North Korea's state agencies, while the others, including Singapore and Hong Kong, were required to register through Koryo Tours.
