North Korea seizes fishermen

North Korean authorities have seized a South Korean fishing boat and its crew in waters off the divided peninsula's eastern coast yesterday, the South's coast guard has said, amid heightened tensions over the sinking of a southern navy ship.

Four South Korean and three Chinese fishermen were questioned for an alleged violation of the North's exclusive economic zone, South Korea's coast guard said. The fishing boat was being taken toward North Korea's eastern port of Songjin, it said.

One of the fisherman told the coast guard by satellite phone that his boat was being towed by a North Korean patrol.