The Unification Ministry says the South Korean fishing vessel and crew North Korea detained last month will be freed Saturday after 30 days in custody.

The ministry said Pyongyang told Seoul Friday through a military communication network that it will free the “800 Yeonan-ho” vessel and its four fishermen in the East Sea on Saturday at 5 p.m.

A Seoul official says the Korea Coast Guard will gain custody of the ship and crew near the East Sea Northern Limit Line. He said he believes the detainees have been held at the North's Jangjeon Port since their detainment began.

On July 30th around 5 a.m., the 29-ton squid-catching vessel crossed 13 kilometers into North Korean waters while it was fishing northwest of Jejin, Gangwon Province, due to an error in its global positioning system. It was then detained by a North Korean patrol boat.