Police in the oceanfront town of Yurihonjo, Japan, on Friday took into custody eight men believed to have arrived on Japanese shores from North Korea. "We understand that the eight individuals are reporting that they came from North Korea for fishing, but drifted there after their ship experienced [mechanical] troubles," said Hachiro Okonogi of Japan's National Public Safety Commission. If past precedent holds, the men will be returned to North Korea.
Then, on Saturday, the Japanese Coast Guard found a body on Sado island, which is on the same westerly side of Japan's main island, Honshu, as Yurihonjo. The man is likewise believed to be North Korean, as his body was found with cigarettes and other personal items with Korean writing. His cause of death is unknown, as is whether he was a would-be defector or simply another fisherman whose equipment failed. Parts of a wooden boat were located nearby.
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