A South Korean fishing boat was detained by a North Korean patrol boat after crossing into North Korean waters off the east coast last week. In the early morning of July 30th, the 29-ton squid-fishing boat, 800 Yeonan, sailed 12 kilometers north of the Northern Limit Line, the inter-Korean maritime border in the East Sea. When the South Korean vessel discovered a North Korean patrol ship in the area, the crew made contact with a South Korean fisheries information bureau. But 15 minutes later, around 6:30 a.m., it was seized and hauled by the North Korean patrol boat. The Defense Ministry said the South Korean vessel arrived at the North’s Jangjeon Port at 9:30 a.m. As the fishing boat was being towed, the South Korean Navy quickly dispatched two high-speed boats to the scene and called for the immediate return of the vessel through a message wired to the North, but the North did not respond to the navy’s call. Four people, including the captain, were on board the South Korean ship. Reporter Jang Yong-hun of Yonhap News Agency explains why the South Korean ship drifted into North Korean waters, sailing past the Northern Limit Line.

It doesn’t seem the fishing boat entered North Korean waters on purpose. It made wireless contact with the South Korean fisheries information bureau in Sokcho around 6:20 a.m., saying that it discovered a North Korean patrol ship while returning to the South because of a malfunction in its global positioning system. It was found later that the boat had its satellite navigation system repaired on July 29, one day before the incident. Given these circumstances, it’s almost certain that the boat mistakenly crossed the sea border due to a malfunction with its navigation system. Captain Park Gwang-seon contacted the South Korean authorities in Sokcho through a communication line and said he and his crew members were being investigated by the North. It is also possible the captain couldn’t exactly figure out the location of his ship in the early morning hours. Judging from the situation, the ship appears to have accidentally strayed north of the border.

It’s not the first time a South Korea ship has crossed the sea border into the North. The Hwangman entered the North Korean waters on the east coast in April of 2005, and returned home five days later. Also, the Woojin veered off course to sail north of the border in December of 2006, and it was released in 18 days. The two boats accidentally strayed across the boundary while their crew members were intoxicated, and North Korea sent them back home after a brief investigation. But this time, the North has yet to reply to Seoul’s request for the return of the South Korean boat. For now, it’s hard to predict whether the North will release it soon or detain it for an extended period of time.

One day after the incident, North Korea sent a message to the South via a military communication line in the name of a North Korean official in charge of military affairs in the eastern coastal region. According to the message, a related agency is conducting a specific investigation into the South Korean fishing boat and the fate of its crew and the boat will be determined after the investigation. Considering that North Korea quickly delivered its position to the South, some are optimistic there will be a prompt solution to the matter. But Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency reported on August 1st that the nation’s patrol ship had seized a South Korean vessel, which had trespassed into North Korean territorial waters. The report underlined the “trespass” or “illegal intrusion” part, so we cannot rule out the possibility that the problem may be drawn out further.

The accident came amid stalled inter-Korean ties, as seen in North Korea’s detention of a Hyundai Asan employee, identified as his surname, Yu. Some experts say North Korea may take more time in a bid to pressure the Seoul government. Meanwhile, the family members of the crew and local residents are stunned by the abrupt seizure of the boat, and family members have cut off outside contact, just waiting for the prompt solution of the situation. In the meantime, residents of Goseong have organized a committee calling for the swift release of the boat and its crew members and urged the government to make more active efforts toward that goal. The South Korean government has demanded several times that the North send the crew home quickly. Most recently, on August 3rd, Seoul asked the North through a communication line between the maritime authorities in the two Koreas if there had been any development in the situation. But North Korea repeated its traditional answer, simply saying an investigation is underway. Many are now wondering how this incident may influence future inter-Korean relations.

The accident will have a significant impact on inter-Korean ties. If the two sides manage to resolve the situation quickly, it will certainly help improve bilateral relations. The prompt release of the South Korean boat means that the North won’t be so harsh as to completely jeopardize its relationship with Seoul. If so, South Korea may become more committed to mending the stalled ties with Pyongyang. The development will then positively influence inter-Korean working-level talks on the Gaeseong industrial park project. In contrast, the protracted setback in settling the matter will deteriorate the already sour inter-Korean ties. It depends on what choice North Korea will make.

Experts stress that the South Korean government must approach this issue carefully. The working-level negotiations on the Gaeseong project, the only remaining dialogue channel between South and North Korea, haven’t been held for over a month. Under these circumstances, it’s important for Seoul to persuade the North to participate in authorities-level dialogue first.

The government needs to make efforts to prevent similar incidents from recurring. For example, the government can monitor South Korean vessels in the eastern and western seas more strictly. Seoul will have to watch how the North will deal with the situation, but it should continue to remind the North that the South Korean boat crossed the border accidentally and persuade Pyongyang to settle the issue on humanitarian grounds. If the problem shows signs of being protracted, Seoul could appeal to the international community for a solution.

The situation should be resolved immediately based on humanitarian principles so all the crew members will be able to return home safe and sound. Also, the government must come up with proper measures to ensure the safety of fishermen in order to prevent any recurrence of such mishaps.


[Interview] Female N. Korean Defector Becomes Public Official in S. Korea
With the number of North Korean defectors coming to the South nearing 20-thousand, more and more such newcomers are pursuing their careers in various fields of South Korean society. Notably, Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province has recently hired a North Korean defector as a public servant. Currently, three North Koreans serve as public officials at the Unification Ministry and another works for the Second Provincial Government of Gyeonggi Province. But this marks the first time that a defector from the North will work for a local municipal government. Here’s So Yun-seop, official of Suwon City’s Self-Governing Administration Department.

About 280 North Korean newcomers live in this region, and many of them have a hard time getting jobs. To help them resettle here more easily, we decided to hire such defectors as contract personnel. Of course, it’s impossible to solve their employment problem simply by hiring one or two defectors. But we expect local residents will show more interest in our fellow North Koreans, and companies in the region will be encouraged to hire them.

The lucky employee who was able to break the tough competition of 5-to-1 is Kim Yang-hee, who entered South Korea last year. When she first came here, she had no idea what kind of work public officials do. But while watching her North Korean compatriots working as staff at Hanawon, a resettlement facility for defectors, she developed a dream of doing something useful for newcomers from the North. After completing the training course at Hanawon, she attended a private institute to learn how to use computers. She happened to discover a recruitment ad on the Internet and applied for the job offered by Suwon City. She still has a hard time believing she’s really become a government official in South Korea. Kim tells us how she felt when she first learned she landed the job.

I was so excited that I shouted, “I made it!” even before leaving the classroom. I was proud of myself because I took my first step in South Korea in the right direction. I couldn’t wait to show off my achievement to my friends. I was so happy and I cried while touching my computer. Even now, I can’t imagine how I made it. One of the wonderful things about South Korea is that everything is done by machine. I’ve hardly ever done manual work here. If you want to copy ten pieces of paper in North Korea, for example, you have to do the job by hand, one by one. Public officials in South Korea are treated well and paid well, unlike their North Korean counterparts, who usually endure hard work and low payment. I like South Korean society. Here, people are paid for what they’ve done.

On June 5, Kim began to work as a one-year contract personnel at the Self-Governing Administration Department of Suwon City. As a ninth-grade public official, she works 20 hours a week. Her main job is to offer counseling service to North Korean defectors, examine their residential conditions and operate various support programs. She had worked as an accounting clerk in North Korea, but she finds her current job rather unfamiliar, since she has to learn new systems and rules. Her coworkers lavish praise on her efforts and enthusiasm. Here again is Mr. So.

She’s a devoted, hardworking staff member. She leaves the office in the evening only when I tell her to do so. She makes tremendous efforts to learn many things. I was impressed to see her working so diligently. She can understand North Koreans very well, since they’ve experienced both South and North Korean society. She knows the difficulties the North Koreans face and why they find them challenging. I think her counseling service will prove highly effective.

Kim is well aware of her responsibility as the first North Korean defector to become a municipal government official. She believes she must perform her job well in order to help other North Korean expatriates seize more opportunities to work as public servants.

I do wish to help out North Koreans when they have troubles. I can understand their situation well, and I want to share everything with them. Even if I may make mistakes, I hope my coworkers will regard them as cultural and systemic differences. I hope to work well in my place so many South Koreans will perceive North Korean defectors positively and hire more newcomers. I wish to give hope to the defectors.

As an increasing number of defectors are coming to South Korea, their roles in this society are becoming more important. Many newcomers may feel uneasy about their new life in an unfamiliar environment. We hope Kim’s successful resettlement will give them courage and new hope.