ID :
73353
Sat, 08/01/2009 - 19:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/73353
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea says seized S. Korean boat illegally intruded into its waters
(ATTN: UPDATES with ministry spokeswoman's quote, background; TRIMS lead)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's state media said Saturday it was
investigating a South Korean boat that "illegally intruded deep into" its
territory in the East Sea, two days after its seizure by a North Korean naval
vessel.
North Korea's military sent a similar message to South Korea by fax a day
earlier, and the only difference was that Saturday's media report used the word,
"deep," Seoul's Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said.
"A patrol ship of the Navy of the Korean People's Amy captured one ship of South
Korea on July 30 when it illegally intruded deep into the DPRK (North Korea)
territorial waters in the East Sea of Korea," Pyongyang's official Korean Central
News Agency said.
"A relevant institution is conducting a concrete investigation into it at
present," the two-sentence report said.
On Thursday, an unnamed North Korean military official in charge of operations in
the East Sea sent a fax message through an inter-Korean military communication
line, saying the boat illegally intruded into North Korean waters and that a
relevant body was investigating the case.
With four crewmen aboard, the 29-ton squid-fishing boat, named the Yeonanho 800,
was hauled away by a North Korean patrol vessel to an eastern port in the
communist country early Thursday morning after straying 13 km past the
inter-Korean maritime border.
South Korean authorities suspect the boat either did not have a satellite
navigation device or that it malfunctioned.
The ministry spokeswoman said North Korea customarily accuses stray fishing boats
of territorial intrusion, and that this should not be viewed as some kind of
warning.
"With the message, North Korea was explaining about the situation from its
perspective," she said.
Seoul officials called North Korea's prompt response an encouraging sign. But
they cautioned that the isolated state is often unpredictable.
"Now that there was a prompt response about the situation, I'm looking at it in a
positive way," Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said on Thursday. "But I will
keep an eye on the situation."
In a reply to the North Korean military, South Korea said the crossing occurred
by navigational errors and requested the early release of the boat and its crew
"on humanitarian grounds."
In previous incidences, fishing boats that have strayed into the North have been
released after a week or two of inquiry. The latest case has caused greater
concern as cross-border tensions are running high.
Some fear the fishermen could be detained for longer. A South Korean worker has
been held in the North since March on accusations of insulting the North's
political system at a joint industrial park.
Thursday's seizure was the first such case among South Korean fishermen since
President Lee Myung-bak took office in Seoul last year.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's state media said Saturday it was
investigating a South Korean boat that "illegally intruded deep into" its
territory in the East Sea, two days after its seizure by a North Korean naval
vessel.
North Korea's military sent a similar message to South Korea by fax a day
earlier, and the only difference was that Saturday's media report used the word,
"deep," Seoul's Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said.
"A patrol ship of the Navy of the Korean People's Amy captured one ship of South
Korea on July 30 when it illegally intruded deep into the DPRK (North Korea)
territorial waters in the East Sea of Korea," Pyongyang's official Korean Central
News Agency said.
"A relevant institution is conducting a concrete investigation into it at
present," the two-sentence report said.
On Thursday, an unnamed North Korean military official in charge of operations in
the East Sea sent a fax message through an inter-Korean military communication
line, saying the boat illegally intruded into North Korean waters and that a
relevant body was investigating the case.
With four crewmen aboard, the 29-ton squid-fishing boat, named the Yeonanho 800,
was hauled away by a North Korean patrol vessel to an eastern port in the
communist country early Thursday morning after straying 13 km past the
inter-Korean maritime border.
South Korean authorities suspect the boat either did not have a satellite
navigation device or that it malfunctioned.
The ministry spokeswoman said North Korea customarily accuses stray fishing boats
of territorial intrusion, and that this should not be viewed as some kind of
warning.
"With the message, North Korea was explaining about the situation from its
perspective," she said.
Seoul officials called North Korea's prompt response an encouraging sign. But
they cautioned that the isolated state is often unpredictable.
"Now that there was a prompt response about the situation, I'm looking at it in a
positive way," Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said on Thursday. "But I will
keep an eye on the situation."
In a reply to the North Korean military, South Korea said the crossing occurred
by navigational errors and requested the early release of the boat and its crew
"on humanitarian grounds."
In previous incidences, fishing boats that have strayed into the North have been
released after a week or two of inquiry. The latest case has caused greater
concern as cross-border tensions are running high.
Some fear the fishermen could be detained for longer. A South Korean worker has
been held in the North since March on accusations of insulting the North's
political system at a joint industrial park.
Thursday's seizure was the first such case among South Korean fishermen since
President Lee Myung-bak took office in Seoul last year.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
