This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, a Japanese patrol ship collided with a large North Korean fishing boat in the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, approximately 220 miles northwest of the Noto Peninsula in central Japan.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, the collision occurred around 9:10 a.m. while the patrol ship was sending out warnings to the North Korean trawler for entering Japan's waters illegally.
As a result of the collision, the North Korean ship flooded, and 20 crew members were thrown overboard. The Japanese Coast Guard is currently investigating the details of the incident.
At the time of the incident, Japan's Coast Guard stated, 'We have confirmed that there was a collision, and we are currently investigating the details.'
Additionally, the Coast Guard reported that they had not received any information about injuries at the time of the statement.
The collision occurred less than a week after North Korea launched a missile that landed off Japan's coast in its exclusive economic zone.
Japan's fisheries agency has repeatedly warned North Korean fishing ships that have sailed into the country's waters that their squid fishing operations are illegal.
