The Unification Ministry says eight North Korean sailors recently rescued by South Korean Coast Guard officials in the East Sea have been repatriated to the North.
 
The government returned two North Korean ships and their crewmembers to North Korea Monday morning near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto inter-Korean maritime border in the East Sea.
 
The latest repatriation comes nearly a year after the South Korean government handed over three North Korean sailors rescued in the East Sea to the North at the truce village of Panmunjeom on December 29th, 2015.
 
Last week, South Korean authorities rescued eight people aboard three North Korean ships, which were found adrift at sea.
 
During an investigation, all the North Korean sailors confirmed their desire to return to their home country.