The defection of several North Koreans in a wooden boat earlier this week has sparked a controversy over the South Korean military’s response, with ROK authorities denying claims that the incident in the East Sea exposed a security gap along the maritime border.

According to South Korean media reports, a 60-year-old fisherman who was working off the east coast of Sokcho in Gangwon Province encountered the wooden boat carrying four North Koreans and reported it to the coastal security agency, before any official authorities arrived.