It was learned on Oct. 14 that North Korean fishing boats have reappeared in waters near the Yamato Bank in the Sea of Japan to engage in illegal fishing operations since September and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has chased some 700 of them out of Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

North Korean boats had disappeared from waters near Japan in mid-August but have returned in less than a month. They continue their cat-and-mouse game with the JCG.

Poaching by North Korean boats started around June. The JCG dispatched patrol boats to deal with them for the first time in early July, chasing 820 of them out of the EEZ by mid-August.

However, DPRK boats began to return to the Yamato Bank area in September after the autumn fishing season started. While the number has been smaller than during the peak summer season, the JCG had chased off some 330 boats as of Sept. 20, and a total of 700 as of Oct. 14. (Abridged)