Three North Korean crew members of a
Mongolian-flagged ship that sank off South Korea’s coast on Friday have been sent home through the border village of Panmunjom.
The remains of a further two crew members found in the open sea were also returned, a South Korean official announced on the 6th.
North Korea demanded on the 4th via the Panmunjom line of communication that the South repatriate the surviving crew
members and the recovered bodies, the official said.
The 4300t freighter was en route to China from the North
Korean port of Chongjin carrying a shipment of steel and oil when it sank, claiming
the lives of all but three of the 16 onboard.
Subsequent rescue efforts by a number of aircraft and patrol vessels combing the area southeast of Geomun Island off the coast of Yeosu have been hindered by poor weather conditions.
