3 N. Korean fishermen want to stay in S. Korea, 2 others to be repatriated: ministry

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- Three North Korean sailors, rescued in South Korean waters, have expressed their wishes to defect to South Korea, while two others want to return home, Seoul's unification ministry said Tuesday. According to the ministry, the North Korean sailors were rescued by South Korea's Coast Guard on Saturday while drifting on a vessel near the eastern island of Ulleung. The North has asked the Seoul government to send back all of them, but the ministry said it has decided to deal with the three North Korean fishermen "in accordance with what has been handled." The South accepts North Koreans who choose to defect here, while the two others wishing to go home will be repatriated in the near future, according to the ministry. Despite tensions, the two Koreas have a practice of repatriating civilians who accidentally land in each other's territory. The move marks the third time this year that South Korea has repatriated North Korean sailors found in the South's waters. Earlier this month, South Korea returned home five North Korean fishermen who were drifting in the East Sea following the repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in February.