South Korea rescued 10 fishermen from North Korea who had gone adrift and returned each of them to the North, the Ministry of Unification said Wednesday.

The fishermen’s vessel reportedly had a malfunctioning engine, causing it to drift off course. South Korean authorities located them near the Dokdo islets Sunday.

Since each requested that they be returned to the North the South obliged, allowing them to cross over through the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) Wednesday morning.

South Korea has, in the past, seizedNorth Korean fishing vessels that crossed into its territory, but also