SEOUL, March 7 (UPI) -- North Koreans apparently trying to flee state repression are being brainwashed in South Korea, the government in Pyongyang claims.
Pyongyang called for talks Wednesday to discuss the repatriation of North Koreans who drifted into South Korean waters more than a month ago, the BBC reports.
Four of the 31 people on the fishing vessel are said to want to defect from North Korea.
North Korea said the four would-be defectors were brainwashed and called on them to attend the talks Wednesday so they could admit publicly that they wanted to defect, the BBC adds.
Groups representing the interests of defectors in Seoul said their family members could be put into prison camps in response to any defection.
The status of the remaining 27 people on the boat is unclear. They were taken to the border with North Korea last week though there was no one there to meet them, the BBC reports.
Seoul accuses the North Korean government of jamming its military communications equipment during military operations in coordination with the United States in the region. North Korea said the military exercise is a preparation for war.
