▲ A wooden boat (in red circle) is towed by a South Korean military vessel toward a port in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, northeastern South Korea, on Oct. 24, 2023, after a group of four unidentified individuals from North Korea crossed the eastern maritime inter-Korean border on the boat and were spotted in waters off the nearby city of Sokcho. (Yonhap)

N Korea-fisheries output

N. Korea calls for attaining annual fisheries output goal

SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has called for efforts to meet its annual fisheries output goal, state media said Tuesday, as Pyongyang seeks to increase its grain and seafood production amid chronic food shortages.

"By successfully wrapping up this fishing campaign, let's attain the annual fisheries production goal no matter what," the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said.

The newspaper urged fishermen and relevant workers in the industry to meet the goal in an "unwavering" manner and underscored the importance of supplying food, necessities and firewood to them.

In an apparent bid to boost self-reliance amid economic hardships deepened by global sanctions and yearslong COVID-19 lockdowns, Pyongyang has identified raising grain and seafood production among its 12 major economic goals for the year.

Some analysts said the reclusive regime is likely to tighten its inspection of the de-facto inter-Korean maritime border area during the fishing period to prevent possible defections to the South.

In a policy report submitted for a parliamentary audit earlier this month, the defense ministry said the North Korean military is beefing up monitoring of fishing boats in areas near the Northern Limit Line during the crab fishing season.

"North Korea appears to be encouraging fishing activities as it moves to open its borders following COVID-19 lockdowns," Joung Eun-lee, a researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification said. "North Korean residents have used the fishing period as a means for defection and authorities will likely move to strengthen monitoring."

Last week, a group of four unidentified individuals from the North crossed the eastern maritime inter-Korean border on a wooden boat in an apparent attempt to defect to South Korea.

It remains unknown whether they made the move while disguising themselves as fishermen.

On Sunday, a North Korean vessel stranded near the maritime border in the East Sea was towed away by the North's authorities several hours after it was spotted by the South Korean military.

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