South Korea returns three North Koreans at maritime border

July 29 (UPI) -- South Korea repatriated three North Koreans who were apprehended at sea on the South's side of the Northern Limit Line between the two Koreas.

Seoul's joint chiefs of staff said Monday the "small wooden boat" and all three of its crew members were transferred to the North Koreans at 3:31 p.m., Yonhap reported.

"A North Korean vessel, waiting to tow the ship back to the North side of the NLL, was waiting," the joint chiefs of staff told reporters. South Korea's coast guard transferred the boat and crew on the eastern coast of the NLL.

South Korea's unification ministry said the repatriation reflected the "free will" of the crew.

North Koreans detained in South Korea are typically given the option of applying for resettlement. On Monday, Seoul suggested the three North Koreans expressed a desire to return home.

"The most important thing from a humanitarian point of view is to abide by the free will of North Korean residents," the unification ministry said, ahead of the transfer, Seoul Pyongyang News reported.

"Repatriation is taking place according to the free will" of the boat crew, the ministry added.

The boat crossed into the disputed NLL on Saturday. South Korean authorities were apprised of the boat's presence at 10:15 a.m. The boat then crossed into the South at 11:21 a.m.

Within 24 hours of the boat's capture, South Korea's military decided to repatriate the boat's crew.

Lee Sang-min, the ministry's spokesman, also said repatriation depends on the situation and the case. According to Yonhap, Lee defended the swift decision when a local reporter asked whether a 24-hour investigation was sufficient to evaluate the case of the North Korean crew.

In June, South Korea's military came under criticism following revelations a North Korean fishing boat sailed in the South's territorial waters for 57 hours before being apprehended.

The boat, carrying four fishermen, ended in two repatriations and two defections.