Japan searches for 12 missing N. Korean fishermen

Japan's coastguard said Thursday it was searching for 12 North Korean fishermen missing after their boat capsized in high seas. Three of the crew have already been rescued and returned to North Korea in line with their wishes, the coastguard said. The troubled boat was spotted on Wednesday by a Japanese Self Defense Force jet patrolling the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The coastguard launched a patrol boat and aircraft and found the fishing vessel at around 3:40 pm (0640 GMT) Wednesday in waters 360 kilometres (225 miles) northwest of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. The coastguard rescued three men clinging to the hull of the upturned boat. These men reported that they were part of a crew of 15, prompting Japanese authorities to start a search operation for the missing people. A coastguard spokesman told AFP that five patrol vessels and one plane had been deployed to search for the missing fishermen. "They have told investigators that they were on their way home after working," the spokesman said of the rescued men, without giving further details. Japan and North Korea have tense relations, with Pyongyang routinely issuing verbal threats as well as firing missiles near or above Japan. But the Japanese coastguard occasionally rescues North Korean fishermen in maritime accidents in regional waters.