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The fishing boat 391 Hungjin was captured in North Korean territorial waters on Oct. 21. The boat and its crew were repatriated on Oct. 27

On the afternoon of Oct. 27, North Korea released a South Korean fishing boat and its sailors in the East Sea. The boat had reportedly been recently captured in North Korean waters in the East Sea. This is the first time in seven years that South Korean sailors have been repatriated after being captured by the North.

A senior official with the Unification Ministry said that the vessel and sailors had been returned between 6:45 and 6:50 pm. After the coast guard brings them to the port of Sokcho, they will be questions about the details of their capture by the North.

“According to reports from relevant agencies, a South Korean fishing ship called 391 Hungjin was apprehended when it illegally entered North Korean waters in the East Sea early in the morning on Oct. 21. Investigators determined that the South Korean fishing vessel and sailors deliberately trespassed in North Korean waters in order to catch fish,” North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on the morning of the same day.

“Since the South Korean fishermen all honestly admitted their illegal trespassing, repeatedly apologized and asked for lenience and forgiveness, it was decided to send them back with their ship for humanitarian reasons.” Considering that all channels of communication between North and South Korea are currently severed, the KCNA was apparently used to announce the plan to repatriate the fishermen.

Since Moon Jae-in became president in May until now, the South Korean government has repatriated North Koreans eight times. But this was the first time that a South Korean fishing vessel had been captured by North Korea since the 55 Daeseung in Aug. 2010. That was during the presidency of Lee Myung-bak, when inter-Korean relations were rocky, and North Korea waited 30 days before returning the fishermen. Under former president Roh Moo-hyun, when inter-Korean relations were positive, however, three fishing vessels that were captured in 2005 were all repatriated on the same day.

A South Korean government official responded with caution to North Korea’s action, saying that “I don’t think we’re at the stage yet to attribute some kind of meaning to this.”

“North Korea appears to be trying to deflect US criticism about the North’s human rights record and to assess the situation prior to US President Donald Trump’s trip to Asia. [The repatriation of the fishing vessel] shouldn’t be regarded as implying an overture for dialogue, but it can be seen as a way for North Korea to create justification for itself,” said Kim Yong-hyeon, a professor at Dongguk University.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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