North Korean vessel seizes Russian yacht in Sea of Japan
A presumably North Korean vessel has seized a Russian yacht in the Sea of Japan. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vladivostok is verifying information regarding this, Russia’s Interfax news agency reports.
"We cannot yet confirm or deny this information. We are checking this information, and have sent inquiries to the Russian consulate in the DPRK," said Vladimir Konovalov, the First Secretary of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Delegation in Vladivostok.
He specified that the Delegation does not yet have corroborating information from the North Korean side or from relatives of the Russian citizens.
The media agency Primorye reported, citing information from the Marine Rescue Coordination Center, that the Russian yacht Katalexa sent a distress signal in the Sea of Japan on June 14. Acording to the agency, a North Korean ship presumably captured it.
In May 2016, the DPRK detained a yacht with Russian athletes on board. The yacht left North Korea the day after the detention.