North Korea and South Korea reached an agreement for South Korea to repatriate by sea the 27 members of a group of 31 North Koreans that drifted south of the West Sea Northern Limit Line who expressed the wish to return home.

Communicating via the Red Cross channel at Panmunjeom on Tuesday morning, North Korea requested that South Korea “first send back by sea the 27 people [who wish to return] out of consideration for the feelings of the family members waiting for the detained residents.”

This represents a change in stance, as North Korea previously demanded the repatriation of all 31 people, including four defectors. North Korea did not comment on the four defectors Tuesday, the Ministry of Unification reported.

In response, the South Korean government sent a reply in which it said, “In the interests of humanitarianism, we will repatriate the 27 North Korean residents by sea.”

A Unification Ministry official said, “We will place the [North Korean] residents on the boat they came in on and send them back as soon the rough sea warning currently in effect on the West Sea is lifted.”

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