SEOUL: North Korea's foreign ministry "strongly demanded" on Saturday (Oct 12) that Japan pay compensation for a fishing boat that sank when it collided with a Japanese patrol boat earlier this week, North Korean state media reported.
The collision on Monday was deliberate and "a gangster act" by Japan and Tokyo should take steps to prevent future incidents, a spokesman for the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA.
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READ: North Korean fishing boat's crew rescued after colliding with Japan sea patrol
"We strongly demand that the Japanese government compensate for the infliction of the material damage by sinking our vessel," the unnamed spokesman said. "If such an incident occurs again, Japan will face an undesirable consequence."
The Japanese coast guard said on Monday it rescued about 60 North Korean crew members from a fishing boat that sank after it collided with the patrol boat that was chasing it out of Japanese waters.
The foreign ministry official disputed Japan's claim that a sharp turn by the North Korean boat caused the accident.
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