Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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August 29, 2009

North Korea Releases Detained South Korean Fishermen
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=264C63D:A6F02AD83191E160FEA4B9BBB61924B598CBE7246176B735&
 
Men were seized after their boat drifted into North's territorial waters
late last month 
South Korea's Coast Guard says North Korea freed four South Korean
fishermen and their boat Saturday, nearly a month after they were
captured in the North's waters. South Korean maritime police
said the fishing boat Yeonan-ho and four crewmen were handed over to a
patrol boat waiting at the eastern sea border at 5 p.m., local time
(0800 UTC).The men were seized after their boat drifted into
the North's territorial waters late last month. At the time, the
South's Unification Ministry said the boat's satellite navigation
system had malfunctioned. Seoul says 494 of its people, mostly
fishermen, were seized in the decades after the war, and more than 500
prisoners of war were never sent home. Pyongyang says it is not holding
anyone against their will. Some information for this report was provided
by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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