Five North Korean seamen who were rescued while drifting into South Korean waters on two troubled boats have been repatriated to the North.

South Korean Red Cross officials said Saturday that two North Korean men, who were spotted drifting aboard a badly damaged boat near the western sea border on Thursday, were repatriated via the border village of Panmunjeom earlier in the day.

The other three fishermen, who were rescued off the east coast Thursday, were also returned to the North aboard their repaired boat.

On Thursday, North Korea's Navy had sent a radio message to the South asking for assistance in rescuing the five-ton ship that had drifted across the eastern maritime border due to engine trouble and lack of fuel.

In a separate incident, a North Korean barge carrying two crewmen drifted across the western sea border and was towed to Incheon Port, west of Seoul on Thursday evening. The Defense Ministry said the North had sent a similar radio message for help in salvaging the troubled ship.

The two incidents mark the first time civilian ships have been safely rescued at the maritime border by means of the military communication hotline that the two Koreas opened earlier this year.