Military: Four North Korean Residents Found Drifting South of East Sea NLL on May 27
by Yoo Jaehoon
Published 05 Jun.2025 14:47(KST)
North Korean Residents Found Adrift in March as Well
Repatriation Stalled Due to Silence from the North Despite Requests
Last week, a North Korean wooden boat drifting south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea was discovered by the South Korean military.
According to the military on June 5, the South Korean military identified a small North Korean wooden vessel south of the NLL, approximately 100 kilometers east of Goseong, Gangwon Province, on the morning of May 27. The military, in cooperation with the Korea Coast Guard, took action and handed over the four individuals aboard the vessel to the relevant authorities.
It has been reported that these North Korean residents are requesting repatriation to North Korea.
Meanwhile, in March, the military also discovered a North Korean wooden boat drifting across the NLL in the West Sea and handed it over to the relevant authorities. The two North Korean residents aboard that vessel also requested repatriation, but as the North Korean side has not responded to the South Korean government's attempts to make contact, their repatriation has not been carried out for nearly three months.
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