Seoul: South Korea's spy agency was
questioning seven North Koreans who crossed into the South's
waters, an official said on Tuesday, amid reports they wanted to
return to their communist homeland.
The North Koreans crossed into South Korean waters off
the divided peninsula's west coast aboard a small boat
yesterday, an official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The National Intelligence Service, South Korea's main spy
agency, is questioning the North Koreans, he said. He did not
give any further details and spoke on condition of anonymity
because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.
Yonhap news agency and news cable channel YTN reported
that the North Koreans told investigators they wanted to go
back to the North.
YTN said South Korea planned to hand them over to the
North at the border village of Panmunjom as soon as their
desire was confirmed.
The village is jointly overseen by the UN Command and
North Korea an arrangement established in 1953 to supervise
the cease-fire that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
The NIS said it could not immediately confirm the news
reports.
Earlier this month, the US-led United Nations Command
repatriated a North Korean soldier rescued at sea by South
Korea's navy.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 14:17