SEOUL — South Korea on Tuesday repatriated two North Korean fishermen, ignoring demands and threats from Pyongyang to hand over three others who opted to remain in the South.
The two fishermen walked over the border at the border truce village of Panmunjom, a spokeswoman for the South’s Unification Ministry said.
They were among five North Koreans rescued on July 4 by the coastguard when their vessel was found drifting in South Korean territorial waters off the east coast.
According to Seoul, three of them requested to stay in the South.
South Korean policy is to repatriate any North Korean fishermen unless they specifically ask not to be sent back.
North Korea had demanded the return of all five, and threatened unspecified “stern” action if the South did not comply.
“There was no incident,” the ministry spokeswoman said regarding Tuesday’s border crossing.
Seoul repatriated two North Korean fishermen rescued off the east coast in February and five others last month after investigators confirmed their wish to return home.
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