S. Korean fishing boat detained by N. Korea

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By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 30 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean fishing boat was seized by North Korean
authorities Thursday morning after accidentally crossing the border in the East
Sea, officials in Seoul said.
The incident took place around 6:30 a.m., a South Korean defense ministry
official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. He said four were on
board when the boat, believed to weigh 30 tons, strayed into North Korean waters.
"The satellite navigation system on the boat appears to have malfunctioned," the
official said. "A North Korean patrol boat in the area took the boat into
custody, and North Korean authorities remain in control of it."
The fishing boat departed a port on the eastern coast shortly past noon on
Wednesday and crossed a border point about 20 miles off the coast, another
official said.
"We are pushing for its release," the official said, declining to elaborate.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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