Eight bodies, heavily decayed, were found Monday in a small wooden ship that washed up on a Japanese shore, authorities said.
The boat came ashore about 44 miles north of where police discovered eight men last week. The men, who said they were from North Korea and were fishing in the Sea of Japan when their boat ran into trouble, were rescued and taken into custody by Japanese authorities.
It is unclear if the bodies discovered Monday were those of the North Korean fishermen or if the two cases are otherwise related. However, on the latest boat, authorities found a pack of cigarettes with Hangul characters printed on it, suggesting it came from the North, Kyodo News reports.
The coast guard has not determined the ship’s country of origin, an official told The Japan Times.
In a separate incident, bodies of two men were found on a shore in Sado, Niigata Prefecture over the weekend. Police suspect at least one of them came from North Korea after Korean letters were found written on his body, Kyodo News reported. Life jackets with Korean lettering were found nearby.
A total of 43 wooden ships that were believed to have come from the Korean peninsula washed up on Japanese shores or were seen to be drifting off Japan’s coast since January. Last year, there were 66 ships.
Experts say North Korea’s food shortages could behind the series of accidents.
“North Korea pushes so hard for its people to gather more fish so that they can make up their food shortages,” said Seo Yu-suk, research manager of North Korean Studies Institution in Seoul said.
But as winter approaches, fishermen in the Sea of Japan face more hostile weather as water gets more choppy, according to Seo.
With News Wire Services
