Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-Il jokes with military officials. The DPRK has warned the US-backed government in the south to end acts of provocation against Pyongyang.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
18:55 Mecca time, 15:55 GMT
News Asia-Pacific
North seizes South Korean boat
The South Korean and US navies carried out joint military drills last month
North Korea has seized a South Korean fishing boat that went missing in the Sea of Japan.
North Korean officials said on Saturday that the boat intruded into their exclusive economic zone, an area which extends roughly 320km off the coast.
The boat's crew were questioned before being taken to a North Korean port, according to a statement from the South Korean coast guard. It is unclear exactly where the boat was before it was detained.
"The South Korean government, according to international law, wants the swift resolution to the matter and the safe return of its vessel and its fisherman," the coast guard said.
Timothy Savage, a security expert at the Nautilus Institute, said the area where the boat was seized is "not clearly defined" and that "most of these countries in the region have different interpretations of what their exclusive economic zones are".
"We frequently have ships from one country or another not just from South Korea or North Korea but even China and Japan crossing into each other's territorial waters, so it wouldnt be surprising for a ship [to] accidentally cross into the North Korean zone," he told Al Jazeera.
"Compared to what the North Koreans have been threatening in terms of a physical response, seizing a fishing boat, while it is unfortunate for the fishermen involved, is a relatively low response."
Savage added: "In the old days, the North Koreans would usually keep the people there for some time and try to indoctrinate them into the North Korean way of life.
"They haven't done this for some years now. Now it's more likely they would try to gain some sort of concessions from South Korea before they release them."
The boat was carrying four South Koreans and three Chinese sailors, according to China's Xinhua news agency.
Tensions between the two countries have risen in recent months, since the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which killed 46 sailors.
A South Korean investigation blamed the incident on North Korea. Pyongyang responded by severing all diplomatic ties with Seoul.
South Korea launched naval drills off its western coast last week, and last month carried out a joint military drill with the US navy. North Korea has threatened "physical retaliation" over the exercises.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
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