A North Korean fishing crew will spend the Lunar New Year in South Korea after their vessel broke down and had to be rescued by the South Korean coast guard, the Ministry of Unification (MOU) said.

The North Korean fishing boat left Rason port in the DPRK’s northeast on February 3, but broke down and ran out of fuel. It was found adrift by a South Korean cargo ship on February 12.

South Korean authorities sent a request to their North Korean counterparts five days later, announcing that the fishermen could be returned to the DPRK through Panmunjom. According to