South Korea sends 6 rescued North Koreans back across sea border
 

South Korea sent six North Koreans back across the rivals’ sea border on Wednesday morning, months after they drifted south in wooden boats in March and May.

It came after months of failed efforts to contact North Korea to coordinate the repatriation of the six individuals, who officials say consistently expressed a desire to go back.

Despite the lack of communication, a North Korean patrol boat appeared at the handover point as the six individuals headed back aboard a repaired wooden boat, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry.

What would have been a routine event in years past was complicated by the North’s decision to cut off communications with the South in recent years.

North Koreans have occasionally drifted south in wooden boats before, sometimes accidentally and sometimes to defect. In most previous cases, the two Koreas coordinated to send those who wished to turn back across the land border.

South Korea twice informed the North of its intention to repatriate the North Koreans on Wednesday through the U.S.-led United Nations Command, but received no response, the ministry said.

South Korean authorities are also investigating a North Korean man who crossed the heavily fortified land border between the Koreas on Friday and was taken into custody by South Korean troops. South Korean officials have not disclosed whether the man expressed a desire to settle in the South.

North Korea has effectively suspended almost all diplomacy and direct communication with South Korea following the collapse of its nuclear negotiations with Washington in 2019.

Relations between the Koreas have worsened since 2022 as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a distraction to accelerate his nuclear weapons and missile programs, while also sending troops and military equipment to support Russia’s war effort.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/south-north-korea-repatriation-boat-556ca73aa5a475eef4c9231d24441343

Comprehension

What happened to the six North Koreans who drifted south?
When did they arrive in South Korea?
How did South Korea send them back?
Did North Korea respond to South Korea’s messages about the repatriation?
What made this repatriation different from past ones?
How did North Korea respond on the day of the handover?
What usually happens when North Koreans drift to South Korea by boat?
Who else crossed the border into South Korea recently?
Why has communication between the two Koreas become difficult?
How has the Russia-Ukraine war affected North Korea’s actions?

Discussion

If someone wants to return to their country, should they be allowed to go back easily?
What are some reasons people might leave or return to their home country?
How important is good communication between countries?
What would you feel if someone from another country came to your country by accident?
Have you ever had to communicate with someone who didn’t respond? What did you do?
Do you think the sea or land border is safer to cross? Why?
What do you know about the relationship between North and South Korea?
How can political disagreements affect regular people?
What would you do if you got lost in another country?
Should countries always help people who are in danger, even if they’re from a rival nation?

Vocabulary

Repatriation – The act of sending someone back to their own country.
Drifted – Moved slowly, often by water or air, without control.
Rivals – Opponents or competitors.
Patrol boat – A small naval ship used to monitor and protect a specific area.
Routine – Regular and expected; something done often.
Fortified – Made stronger or more secure, often with military defenses.
Defecting – Leaving one’s country to live in another, often for political reasons.
Diplomacy – The act of managing international relations and negotiations.
Negotiate – To talk and come to an agreement.
Accelerate – To speed up or increase quickly.