South Korean fisherman Choe Uk-il who is in China after escaping North Korea was reportedly transferred to Seoul authorities on Friday.

Since his escape, the 67-year-old Choe, who was abducted to the North some 31 years ago, has been protected by civic groups supporting abductees and their families.

Civic group leader Choi Seong-yong, whose organization assisted the escape, says that the abductee was handed over to South Korean officials from his hideout in Yenji, China.

Meanwhile, the civic group leader will stay at the South Korean Consulate General in Shenyang before returning to Seoul. He says that as the abducted fisherman strongly wants to return to Seoul, processing his re-rentry will likely be smooth, but he cannot say how long it will take.