Below is the most likely route (dark red line) across the Sea of Japan the family of four North Korean defectors – who arrived in Seoul on Saturday – took last month, followed by a detailed summary of related events to date. This map of currents helps explain how they traveled nearly 900 km (560 miles) in under six days (about 6.8 kmh, 4.2 mph) and used only 110 liters (29 gallons) of fuel; primarily the Tsushima Current. The family left from Ch’ongjin, North Korea and were trying to go to Niigata (the lower red dot on map), but ended up near Aomori (the upper red dot):

The dotted lines indicate cold currents, “C” is a cold water mass, solid lines are warm currents, and “W” indicates a warm water mass. The map below details city locations:

Although the family stated they decided to go to Japan rather than attempt to pass the heavily fortified 38th parallel, due to contrary currents they may have found it very difficult to travel in a southerly direction. Once getting past the first cold current, which they had to pass through regardless, they would have encounter a northerly currently along South Korea’s coast (and might have been pushed into North Korean waters had they run out of fuel or had both engines failed – a possible death sentence), or run into the Tsushima Current further south. Going with the currents, as they did mostly, their fuel consumption was only about 8 km per liter (19 mpg).

It’s easy to see why Japan is concerned about large numbers of North Korean refugees showing up in boats; once they get pas the first cold current, the Tsushima Current is practically guaranteed to pull them up the coast of Japan.

Details of the defection so far:

• On the evening of 28 May 2007, the family of four departed from Ch’ongjin, North Korea with the intent of heading to the Japanese port of Niigata.
• Originally they planned to travel by boat to South Korea, but decided to alter their course to Niigata to avoid the tight security along the 38th parallel, the DMZ.
• They were aware of and decided to alter their course to Niigata due to the North Korean passenger fairly Mangyongbong-92, which used to travel regularly from Wonson, North Korea to Niigata (Japan banned the Mangyongbong-92 in October 2006).
• However, they were driven further north up Japan’s coast by the Tsushima Current to Aomori, where they were spotted by a fisherman near the port of Fukaura in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture after 4 a.m. on 02 June, after about five and a half days at sea.
• The family asked the fisherman, “where is Niigata?” but due to the language barrier the two parties could not understand each other. The fisherman reported the incident to the Japanese Coast Guard.
• The unpainted wooden boat used was 7.3 meters long (24 feet), 1.8 meters wide (6 feet), had two small engines (one as spare), and did not have a cabin. [actual boat pictured at right]
• An official of the Japan Coast Guard noted that, “It is the calmest time of the year for the Sea of Japan. It was fortunate for them to sail this time.” However, the family said that four of their six days at sea were very rough to the point they could not eat.
• A Japanese fisherman who saw the family at Fukaura Port noted that they were all well tanned and neatly dressed in suits.
• The family consisted of the father in his late 50s, the mother in her early 60s, and their two sons, the older in his 30s and the younger in his 20s.
• The parents were both unemployed, as was the older son who as a student at a technical school. The younger son supported the family as an octopus fisherman, through which he had a license to operate a boat and claims t have purchased the craft that brought them to Japan.
• Each family member had their North Korean national identification cards. The boat also carried chopsticks, sausages, bread, water, a small bottle of liquid poison, clothing, rain gear, several wooden oars, a spare engine, 90 liters of fuel (out of 200 liters).
• The younger of the two sons was found to have a small amount of methamphetamines in his possession, which he claimed to have used to keep awake during the journey. Japanese prosecutors declined to prosecute.
• The family stated they wanted to go to South Korea, and gave the following explanations for their defection, destination of Japan, and presence of poison; “We escaped from North Korea due to poor living conditions. We headed toward Japan since Korea maintains a heavy security presence on the border… We planned to poison ourselves if we were captured by North Korean security forces…”
• They said they were fortunate to eat bread every other day, there is no freedom in North Korea, and that Kim Jong-il’s incompetent leadership is causing conditions to worsen.
• The Japanese government issued the family members six-month temporary landing permission visas and initiated formal negotiations with South Korea through diplomatic channels, but also made clear the family could go to another country if they so chose.
• Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso met with his South Korean counterpart, Song Min-soon, at the Lotte Hotel on Cheju Island where they agreed to move the family to the Republic of Korea. The family had met with South Korean consular officers and stated they wanted to go to South Korea.
• Some in Japan were suspicious of the defectors, suggesting that they could be North Korean spies infiltrating the Japanese coast but were detected by local fishermen. Reasons for this were that; a) 200 liters of diesel would have cost the equivalent of 16 years of wages in North Korea, b) the possession of an expensive spare engine for the boat, c) the family apparently all had wristwatches, d) they brought recently purchased suits of clothing with them, and e) the family complained of the lack of food but were healthy and not malnourished.
• However, economics professor Toshio Miyazuka speculated that, “In North Korea, a fisherman can get money easier than people in other jobs. They may have brought their suits with them so they could start their lives in a foreign country immediately.”
• [DPRK Studies comment: probably the family simply stole the fuel, extra engine, and perhaps some of the other items, as they departed the country. I’m not sure why that obvious possibility wasn’t discussed in the Korean, Japanese, or Western media.]
• On 16 June, after two weeks in Japan, the family traveled to Seoul. Upon arrival one of the men – perhaps the father – shouted, “Liberty, democracy, human rights!” [photo right]

Related posts:
Update 3 on the North Korean Boat Defectors to Japan
Update 2 on the North Korean Boat Defectors to Japan
Update on the North Korean Boat Defectors to Japan
Four North Koreans Defect to Japan by Boat

Sources:
Dong-a Ilbo: A North Korean Family Defects to Japan
Kyodo: N. Korea defector not to be prosecuted for drug possession
Kyodo: Police not to build case against 4 N. Korean defectors
Kyodo: N. Korean defectors meet S. Korean consular officials
Asahi: 4 defectors likely to go to South Korea
Asahi: Defectors took large supply of costly fuel
Daily Yomiuri: 4 crossed sea in rickety boat / altered original SK heading
Japan Times: Defection from the North
IHT: Defectors were desperate to escape poverty, oppression
Mainichi: NK defectors arrive in SK after making boat voyage to Japan