Two North Korean men defected to South Korea via the East Sea on Wednesday, the South Korean unification ministry confirmed to NK News on Thursday. 

The men were found at around 1130 local time in seas roughly 100 km from the Dokdo islets, a ministry spokesperson said, and are two of three North Koreans to reportedly cross into the South in the past two days.

They were discovered in a small wooden boat, the spokesperson said, and told the navy that they wanted to defect to South Korea.

The boat was then, with their consent, destroyed at sea.

The Navy has