North Korea yesterday released two South Korean and 15 Russian sailors detained in the country since July 17, the Russian embassy in the DPRK said in a statement.

In a report which follows the second round of meetings on Friday between the detained sailors and Russian officials, the embassy said their ship — the Russian-flagged “Xiang Hai Lin 8” — had departed North Korea’s Wonsan port at 1930 KST on Saturday.

“At 16.00 (local time), captain V. L. Verevka was informed by the [North] Korean side about the release,” the statement reads, adding the release had been the “result of