South Korea returned a North Korean fishing boat to its own waters in the Yellow Sea on Friday after the ship drifted across the western maritime border due to engine failure.
 
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the boat sailed nearly two kilometers over the Northern Limit Line into South Korean-controlled waters on Thursday evening.
 
The Navy seized the ship around 8 p.m. when it ignored repeated warnings by South Korean authorities to turn back.
 
The JCS said it decided to send the ship back after questioning the sailors on board. The investigation found the ship drifted into South Korean waters due to engine failure and the sailors had no intention to South Korea.
 
On December 30th of last year, South Korea’s Navy returned to the North a fishing boat that drifted into South Korean waters also due to engine breakdown.