JCS Vows to Tighten Sea Border Security after N. Korean Boat Found Adrift
The South Korean military said it has found areas that need improvement after authorities failed to detect a North Korean fishing boat until it had drifted deep into South Korean waters last week.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Monday that although overall maritime and coastal security operations were conducted normally, it has found that its radar operation system needs enhancements.
JCS spokesperson Kim Joon-rak said in a regular news briefing that the military will maintain a solid vigilance and surveillance posture by crafting backup measures.
The acknowledgement came after a small North Korean fishing boat with four people on board was found adrift some 130 kilometers south of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto inter-Korean maritime border.
The approximately one-ton vessel, made from wood, was found near the east coast Samcheok Port in Gangwon Province. A South Korean fishing vessel reported it to South Korean authorities, who said the boat was adrift due to engine malfunction.
[Photo : YONHAP News]