North Korean ships swarm into Japanese waters: Fishing boats or spy ships?

Until now, the Japanese government still cannot know exactly whether the North Korean ships that washed up on its shores were real fishing boats or spy ships.

A wooden boat with eight smelly bodies was discovered in Oga, Akita prefecture on November 27 - Photo: Reuters

While North Korea says the presence of fishing boats near the Sea of ​​Japan is simply seasonal, concerns are real in Japan.

The growing number of North Korean fishing boats, some empty, others washed ashore with smelly corpses, has sparked panic among residents of Japan's coastal areas.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been compounded by concerns about North Korean spies infiltrating Japan by sea, leading to increased patrols by the Japanese coast guard.

Even in one instance they came across a North Korean naval vessel, they could not prevent the panic that arose from the wooden North Korean ships that washed up on the beach.

In total, 28 ships believed to be North Korean were found adrift at sea or washed ashore in Japan in November 2017 alone, seven times more than the same period last year.

One of these was a wooden boat, about 14 meters long. When it was discovered off the coast of Hokkaido, it had 14 people on board. A square sign briefly read "Korean People's Army, Unit 854" in Korean.

They were taken away immediately. Those who questioned them remained silent when asked by the press.

A wooden boat drifted ashore in Yurihonjo, Akita prefecture on November 24 - Photo: AP

The day before that boat was discovered, another boat with eight bodies was found rotting on the beach. Life jackets with Korean writing were found inside the hold.

"The government is aware that this is causing extreme anxiety among local residents. The police and coast guard are actively coordinating to clarify the matter. Once we have grasped the issue, we will respond strongly," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference earlier this week.

"I don't want to stir up fear," Tetsuro Fukuyama, an opposition lawmaker, said in a parliamentary session on December 5, citing the case of eight North Korean men who were recently found wandering off the coast of Japan.

“What would be the risk from these people if they were actually spies who had just landed for an ongoing military operation?” Mr. Fukuyama asked.

Just a fishing boat?

Japan Coast Guard follows a North Korean wooden fishing boat off Matsumae, Hokkaido on November 29 - Photo: Japan Coast Guard

Analysis shows that the demand for fish is growing rapidly in North Korea and competition with Chinese vessels has pushed North Korean fishermen further offshore than before.

North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun last month called on fishermen to fight a "crucial battle" to meet annual fishery quotas. But Pyongyang urged fishermen fishing far from shore to use larger vessels instead of small boats with unreliable engines.

"Fish are like bullets and shells," wrote the Rodong Sinmun.

Professor Ken Kotani of Nihon University (Japan) said that he did not think the above ships were a sign of a North Korean espionage campaign.

Meanwhile, Satoru Miyamato, a professor at Seigakuin University, said he suspected demand for fish was what drove many North Korean fishermen out to sea in cramped boats.

"The number of wealthy people (in North Korea) is increasing and they are looking for a healthy diet. Fishing meets that demand," Mr. Miyamato told Reuters news agency.

Locations of suspected North Korean wooden boats that drifted ashore in Japan in November - Photo: AFP

According to TTO