Seoul: The South Korean government has decided to soon repatriate six North Koreans, who were rescued from the southern side of the inter-Korean maritime border, via a sea route, a government source revealed. President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a swift and safe repatriation, emphasizing that the situation of stranded individuals is a humanitarian concern. The repatriation is anticipated to occur in the near future.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea rescued four North Koreans in May who had accidentally drifted into the South Korean side of the East Sea. This incident followed a similar occurrence in March when two North Koreans were rescued in the Yellow Sea. All six individuals have expressed their desire to return to North Korea. Despite North Korea's lack of response to Seoul's calls for the return of the North Koreans, made through the U.S.-led U.N. Command and the media, the South Korean government is expected to proceed with the repatriation possibly as early as this week, contingent on weather conditions.
The government has opted for the sea route for repatriation, as opposed to the land route through the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, which would require supervision by the U.N. Command, which opposes unilateral repatriation. The plan may involve placing the individuals back on the wooden boats they were rescued in and sending them across the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime boundary, similar to a repatriation that occurred in 2017.
In a precedent set in May 2017, when communication between the two Koreas was suspended, South Korea unilaterally repatriated six fishermen who were rescued on the South Korean side of the sea. After repairing their boat, the fishermen were placed on it and sent back.