N. Korean military says investigation of S. Korean fishermen underway

(ATTN: UPDATES lead, ADDS minister's remarks, S. Korea's return message to North)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, July 31 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's military said Friday that the South
Korean fishermen who were seized aboard a stray boat will be dealt with according
to the results of an ongoing investigation, a response Seoul officials consider
"positive."

The faxed message came through an inter-Korean military communications line a day
after the squid-fishing boat carrying four crewmen was towed to an eastern port
in the communist country. Pyongyang earlier confirmed the seizure through a
maritime phone contact, but no written message had been received.
"A pertinent organ is conducting a concrete investigation regarding the ship
Yeonanho 800," the Unification Ministry quoted the North Korean message as
saying.
The message, sent by an unidentified military official in charge of the East Sea
district, did not name the investigating organ or mention the fate of the crew,
only saying their case "will be dealt with according to the investigation
results."
The 29-ton boat appeared to have accidentally crossed the Northern Limit Line, a
de-facto inter-Korean maritime border in the East Sea, and was hauled away by a
North Korean patrol vessel 13km off the border, Seoul officials said. They
suspect the boat either did not have a satellite navigation device or it had
malfunctioned.
Unification Minister Hyun In-taek welcomed the military's message, but with
caution. Its timing was considered prompt by North Korean standards.
"Now that there was a prompt response about the situation, I'm looking at it in a
positive way," Hyun said, asked by a reporter about the significance of the
message during a public event. "But I will keep an eye on the situation."
The ministry said it sent a return message to the North, saying the crossing
occurred "by mistake" and requesting the early release of the boat and the crew
"on humanitarian grounds."
Previous similar cases were handled through Red Cross channels, currently
unavailable as Pyongyang severed them in November to protest Seoul's hardline
policy toward it.
Fishing boats often stray across the border and are routinely released after a
week or two of inquiry. But the latest case raised concern in Seoul as
inter-Korean relations have hit their lowest level in a decade.
Some fear recurring detentions, as a South Korean worker has been held in the
North since March. Identified only by his family name of Yu, the man who worked
at a joint industrial park in North Korea has been detained incommunicado on
accusations of insulting the North's political system.
Thursday's seizure was the first such case among fishermen since President Lee
Myung-bak took office last year.
Chang Yong-seok, an expert with the Institute for Peace Affairs in Seoul, a
non-governmental organization, said he believes the military sent the message
because the sea border is under the jurisdiction of the navy, rather than as a
warning or punishment. He noted Pyongyang's recent shift from provocative
behavior to gestures of dialogue toward Washington.
"There is always a possibility that North Korea may try to abuse a case like
this, but generally, it has been trying to settle external issues these days,"
Chang said.
Just hours after the boat was hauled away, a North Korean fishing boat ventured
12.9km into South Korean waters off the west coast. South Korean authorities
allowed a North Korean patrol boat to cross the border and tow it back home.
On Friday, South Korea approved a humanitarian aid visit to North Korea for the
first time since the North's nuclear test in May. An eight-member group from
World Vision will provide technical expertise and equipment for North Korean
potato seedling farms during an eight-day trip starting Saturday.
hkim@yna.co.kr