Anchor: South Korea repatriated six North Koreans across the maritime border in the East Sea on Wednesday, months after they had drifted into southern waters and were rescued by the military and coast guard. The Unification Ministry said the repatriation would have been carried out sooner had Pyongyang responded to their repeated calls.
Rosyn Park reports.

Reporter: The Unification Ministry said a wooden boat carrying six North Korean fishermen crossed the Northern Limit Line, the de facto inter-Korean maritime border, at around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, and reached North Korean patrol boats at the designated handover point about 24 minutes later.

Two of the North Koreans had been picked up by South Korean authorities on March 7 after they were found adrift in a boat on the Yellow Sea, while the other four were rescued in the East Sea on May 27.

According to the ministry, authorities from South Korea, the United Nations Command, and the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission confirmed multiple times throughout the investigation and repatriation process that all six individuals clearly expressed a desire to return to the North.

The ministry said it worked closely with relevant agencies to ensure their safe and swift return on humanitarian grounds, despite severed inter-Korean communication channels and strained ties.

Seoul notified Pyongyang of the repatriation location and time through the UN Command, however, their repeated calls went unanswered.

Despite the silence, North Korean ships showed up at the pick up point and ushered all six fishermen back home.

This comes as President Lee Jae Myung has been pushing efforts to ease tensions and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, including halting military loudspeaker broadcasts along the border and urging local civic groups to stop their anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns.
Rosyn Park, KBS World Radio News.