A fishing vessel carrying nine North Koreans, presumed to be defectors, has been found in the East Sea off Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan.

Japan’s Coast Guard said the North Korean men and women including three children were found onboard the vessel. They were floating in the waters off the Nodo Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture at around seven in the morning.

Fuji TV reported that the North Koreans told the Japanese police that they fish for a living and want to reach South Korea.

The Japan Coast Guard has taken the North Koreans to nearby Kanazawa port and plan to investigate how they escaped from North Korea.