Seoul urges North to release detained fishermen

(ATTN: UPDATES with details of protocol at airport and other details in paras 8-9)
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 were aboard a 29-ton squid-fishing boat that was hauled away by
a North Korean patrol vessel on July 30 to an eastern port in the communist
country after it strayed 13km beyond the inter-Korean maritime border.
"We again demand that North Korea send back the fishermen and the ship on
humanitarian grounds," said Chun Hae-sung, spokesperson at the Unification
Ministry, 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 has completely normalized
cross-border traffic for South Korean workers and cargo trains, lifting bans it
had imposed since December to protest Seoul's hard-line policy.
North Korea repeated, however, that it was still "investigating" the ship's crew
and the incident, according to Chun.
The ministry announced that Hong Yang-ho, vice minister, and its former minister
Jeong Se-hyun will receive the North Korean delegation due to land around 3 p.m.
at Gimpo Airport. Chun said that Seoul officials currently have no plans to meet
with the group.
He also said that the two Koreas reconnected a direct communications channel at
the truce village of Panmunjom in the morning for officials to communicate
regarding the coordination of the delegation's trip to Seoul.
Regarding North Korea's normalization of inter-Korean traffic, Chun said that the
government sees the move as "fortunate," noting that its suspension had brought
about a "deterioration" in the countries' relations.
"Such incidents should not be repeated and the government will prepare systematic
measures to prevent similar events from happening in the future."
odissy@yna.co.kr
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