The South Korean government returned a North Korean fisherman through the truce village of Panmunjeom on Tuesday morning.
 
South Korean coast guards rescued three North Koreans aboard a fishing vessel that was running adrift in South Korean waters on Saturday.
 
Following the rescue, one man in his 30s said he wanted to return to the North, while the other two crew members said they wanted to stay in the South.
 
The government decided to respect the two fishermen’s request on humanitarian grounds, but Pyongyang has demanded the repatriation of all three fishermen through the Panmunjeom liaison office.