South Korea will return the bodies of four people presumed to be North Koreans on Thursday via the truce village of Panmunjeom.

The Unification Ministry said that the two sides agreed that the bodies will be handed over to the North at 10:30 a.m.

The government contacted the North on Friday via the recently reopened border hotline and sent a message indicating plans to repatriate the bodies.

The ministry had planned to send the bodies back on Wednesday, but the North asked it to delay the handover until Thursday, presumably in consideration of the working-level inter-Korean talks being held at Panmunjeom.

The bodies were found on a capsized wooden boat in waters near Ulleung Island in the East Sea on January seventh.