South Korea plans to repatriate six North Koreans rescued at sea earlier this year, officials announced Monday, marking the first such return under President Lee Jae-myung’s administration and raising questions about inter-Korean coordination at a time when formal communication channels remain largely severed.

“As all six North Korean residents rescued in the East and West Seas have strongly expressed their desire to return to North Korea, the government aims to repatriate them promptly and safely on humanitarian grounds,” a Ministry of Unification spokesperson said during a press briefing on Monday. 

Two North Koreans were reportedly found aboard a small wooden