A leading Japanese daily says the nine North Korean escapees who arrived in Japan on a wooden boat last Tuesday are expected to be sent to South Korea early next week.

The Asahi Shimbun said Thursday that Tokyo and Seoul are fine-tuning plans on sending the nine North Koreans to the South around Monday.

All of the escapees have expressed hope to go to South Korea and Seoul has responded that it would accept them.

Japan’s Justice Ministry, National Police Agency and Cabinet Secretariat have jointly been probing the escapees at the immigration control center in Nagasaki where they staying under protection.