The government is urging North Korea to immediately return a South Korean fishing vessel it seized on Sunday.

A spokesman for the Unification Ministry in Seoul said the North has issued no notices in regards to its seizure of the fishing boat. The spokesman called on Pyongyang to return the vessel in line with international law and practices.

He added that the government will take the necessary steps to have the vessel freed as soon as detailed information on why the ship was seized is obtained.

The 41-ton "Daeseung" is presumed to have been picked up in North Korea’s exclusive economic zone on Sunday while fishing for squid.