Seoul urges North to release detained fishermen

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday stepped up its demand for the
release of four South Korean fisherman detained in North Korea since late July,
when their ship accidentally strayed into the North's waters in the East Sea.

The four crewmen aboard a 29-ton squid-fishing boat were hauled away by a North
Korean patrol vessel on July 30 to an eastern port in the communist country after
it went 13 km past the inter-Korean maritime border.
"We again demand that North Korea send back the fishermen and the ship on
humanitarian grounds," Chun Hae-sung, adding that Seoul plans to deliver an
official request through a military communication line.
Chun's comment comes in light of what appears to be thawing ties between the two
Koreas. A North Korean delegation comprised of high-level figures is due in Seoul
later in the day to pay respects to late President Kim Dae-jung, who died Tuesday
after a long battle with pneumonia.
On a separate track, Seoul proposed holding talks next week to prepare for
inter-Korean family reunions which Pyongyang recently agreed to after a long
suspension.
North Korea also announced on Thursday that it completely normalized cross-border
traffic for South Korean workers and cargo trains, lifting bans it has imposed
since December to protest Seoul's hard-line policy.
North Korea repeated that the it was still "investigating" the ship's crew and
the incident, according to Chun.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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