Suspected DRPK Boat Washed Ashore Off Yamagata Pref.; Hangul Letters, Material Appearing to Be Coal Tar and No Fishing Equipment Found on Vessel

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:11 JST, January 7, 2025

YAMAGATA — A wooden fishing boat believed to be registered in North Korea has been washed ashore the Hamanaka coast of Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, according to the Sakata Coast Guard Office.

The Coast Guard office said Monday that the ship measured about 5.7 meters long, 1.5 meters wide and 50 centimeters deep, and its bow was inscribed with Hangul letters and numbers. The boat was painted with a black substance believed to be coal tar, which is characteristic of North Korean wooden boats, it said.

A Sakata resident spotted the ship while walking near the coast and reported it to the Coast Guard at about 9:30 a.m. that day, it said. There was no fishing equipment left on board.