Russian Fishing Ship Detained by North Korea


In July of 2019 North Korea seized a Russian fishing boat "Xiang Hai Lin No. 8" that flew the South Korean flag and broke into its territorial waters.
There were 15 Russians and 2 South Koreans on board.
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The Xiang Hai Lin No. 8 had departed from Sokcho Port in South Korea on the 16th of July and drifted due to engine failure while sailing to the Russian Port of Zarubino.
It entered the North Korean waters of the East China Sea (Sea of Japan) on the 17th.
The Russian Embassy in North Korea cited the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the fishing boat violated "the regulations on entry and stay in North Korean territory" and was extradited to North Korea's Wonsan Port.
The 17 crew members were arranged to stay in a hotel in Wonsan City.
The Pyongyang authorities interviewed 17 people for the second time and then released the ship.
After emergency repairs, the Xiang Hai Lin 8 left Wonsan Port on the evening of the 27th and arrived in South Korea.
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It was only after 11 days when  all 17 crew members, including 15 Russians and 2 Koreans, were released who arrived safely in South Korea.
The relatively smooth resolution of the entire incident may have been influenced by the recent closer relations between Russia and North Korea.
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There have been some confrontations between Russia and North Korea in recent years concerning fishing in the sea.  
In 2016, when the Russian Security Service seized a North Korean fishing boat, it clashed with more than 50 North Korean citizens on board, which ultimately resulted in many injuries to both Russia and North Korea.
In 2013, a Russian fishing boat named "Altai" was shot by a North Korean warship in neutral waters of the Sea of Japan.
The fishermen said that it was fired upon by North Korean warships' machine guns and red flares.
After the shooting, soldiers in North Korean military uniforms boarded the "Altai" and conducted a thorough inspection of the fishing boat.
At the same time, they questioned the captain for about 10 minutes about the name of the fishing boat, the number of crew members, the cargo carried, the port of departure and destination, etc.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: When did the detaining of the Russian fishing ship by North Korea happen?
A: In July of 2019.

Q: What was the name of the ship?
A: Xiang Hai Lin No. 8.

Q: How many people were on board?
A: 17.

Q: Are they all Russians?
A: No, 15 Russians and 2 South Koreans.

Q: What happened to the ship on the day?
A: The engine failure while sailing to the Russian Port of Zarubino and drifted to the North Korean waters.

Q: What did the North Korean government say about it?
A: North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the fishing boat violated "the regulations on entry and stay in North Korean territory".

Q: Where was the ship extradited to?
A: To North Korea's Wonsan Port.

Q: Where were the crew members arranged to stay while in detention?
A: In a hotel in Wonsan City.

Q: Were they crew members interviewed by North Korean officials?
A: Yes.

Q: When were the crew members released?
A: 11 days after the incident.

Q: Was the settlement/solution considered as prompt?
A: Yes, as compared with what had happened in previous years.

Q: Were there other confrontations between Russia and Noth Korea over fishing operations?
A: Yes.