North Korea confirms it seized SKorean boat, 7 crew, alleges they were fishing in North waters

NKorea confirms it seized South fishing boat, crew

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea confirmed Thursday it seized a South Korean fishing boat more than a week ago and claimed the seven crewmen admitted to fishing in its waters.

South Korea had been pushing for the release of the four South Korean and three Chinese fishermen it had said were seized along with the boat on Aug. 8, but Pyongyang had not responded or acknowledged that it had the fishermen.

The North confirmed the seizure Thursday, saying that its navy caught the boat illegally fishing in the communist country’s eastern exclusive economic zone. The fishermen admitted their wrongdoing during a preliminary investigation, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said in a brief dispatch.

The fishermen were still under investigation, it said.

In Seoul, Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said he was aware of the KCNA dispatch but noted Pyongyang had not sent a separate message on the seizure to South Korea.

The taking of the fishing boat comes as relations between the Koreas are filled with contention over the deadly sinking of South Korean warship in March that has been blamed on North Korea. Pyongyang has denied responsibility.

Tensions spiked again this week as South Korea and the U.S. began annual join military drills that North Korea has called a rehearsal for invasion and pledged to retaliate.

The computerized drills — which involve about 56,000 South Korean soldiers and 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea and abroad — followed massive joint naval drills the allies conducted off the peninsula’s east coast last month in response to the warship sinking.

South Korea and the U.S. plan to conduct another major joint naval drill next month, this time off the peninsula’s west coast where the warship Cheonan sank.

The Korean peninsula technically remains in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The U.S. stations 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect its key ally.