North Korea boats off Japan spark spy scare; but some suspect just luckless fishermen

Tokyo: An increasing number of fishing boats from North Korea has been appearing off Japan, some in distress, some abandoned and some with dead bodies on board, raising fears about infiltration by spies as tension with North Korea surges.

The coastguard has beefed up patrols in response to the boats including one labelled military property, just off the coast, or even grounded on Japanese beaches. The coastguard and analysts of North Korea have played down the fears, attributing the surge in boats to more mundane reasons, such as a North Korean drive to increase winter fish catches.

But the worries persist.

“The government is well aware that this is causing great anxiety to local people,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters this week.

“The Police and coastguard are working to clarify the situation,” he said.

“Once we have the facts, we will respond firmly.”

There were 28 cases of boats adrift off Japan’s coast or grounded on its shores in November, the coastguard said, compared with four in November last year. One of the boats was a 14-metre wooden vessel from North Korea found off the northern island of Hokkaido with 10 crew on board.

Raising alarm in a country North Korea has threatened to destroy, amid tension over its relentless development of nuclear bombs and missiles, was a square plate attached to the boat reading: “Korean People’s Army, No. 854 military unit” in Korean script. Police and the coastguard questioning the crew declined to comment.

A day before that boat was detained, eight decomposed bodies were found in a small boat washed up on a beach. Also on board were life jackets bearing Korean lettering.