hankyoreh

the secretary general of Republic of Korea Red Cross

Four crew members of the 800 Yeonan will be allowed to return Aug 29, thirty days after they were first detained in North Korea.

A representative from the Unification Ministry said on Friday, “North Korea informed us this afternoon through the military communication line that they will deliver the four crew members and the fishing boat to us in the East Sea on Aug 29 at 5:00 p.m.” He added, “Although the timing is belated, the government welcomes the return of the fishing boat and its crew.”

Experts say that the return of the detained crew is in line with the recent trend of positive signals from North Korea for improving inter-Korean relations.

North Korea’s Coast Guard captured the fishing boat 800 Yeonan at 5:05 a.m. on Jul 30 when it passed over the Northern Limit Line (NLL) by 13 kilometers.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]