Four North Korean fishermen wash up in Japan, suggesting international sanctions have driven them to desperation
- These vessels, adrift in the ocean, have been dubbed ‘ghost ships’ by Japanese media
- Coastguard reported 207 North Korean vessels found in Japanese waters in 2018, a sharp increase from 38 in 2016
Four North Korean fishermen are being cared for on the Japanese island of Okinoshima, about 80km off the coast of Shimane Prefecture, after the engine of their boat broke down and they drifted ashore.
The number of North Korean vessels sighted in Japanese waters has soared in the past two years, suggesting international sanctions against Pyongyang are forcing fisherman to venture further from their base in search of a catch.
The four men, who told local authorities their names and were able to explain their plight, were found on the island on Tuesday and were given food by a resident. The men said they had not eaten for 10 days after their engine broke down in the Sea of Japan.
Takeko Murakami, a resident, told Kyodo news agency she fed them even though she did not understand what they were saying. She said one of the men, who appeared to be the leader, bowed in appreciation after she gave each of them jackets to keep them warm.
Police located a 9.3-metre-long fishing boat, containing ropes and mugs, washed up near where the men were found. A number on the hull of the vessel was faded and illegible.
Sanctions imposed by the US and the international community are really having an effect on the broader economy
The Japan Coast Guard has reported 207 North Korean vessels washed up on Japanese shores or found derelict in Japanese waters in 2018, almost double the 104 in 2017 and a sharp increase from 38 the previous year.
