North Korea said it will release the boat on Friday for humanitarian reasons after the boat was found “illegally” in waters under the North’s control six days ago, the state-controlled media group the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
North Korea said it reached its decision to release the boat after “taking into account the fact that all the crewmen honestly admitted their offence, repeatedly apologising and asking for leniency”.
In a statement, the KCNA said: “The DPRK side decided to repatriate the boat and its crew from the humanitarian point of view, taking into account the fact that all the crewmen honestly admitted their offence, repeatedly apologising and asking for leniency.
“It will repatriate the boat and its crew at the designated waters of the military boundary line in the East Sea.”
The boat and its crew were captured October 21 and they will be released on October 27, the news agency said.
An investigation by the North “proved” the boat and crew had entered North Korean waters for fishing.
North Korean fishing boats, because of age or low fuel, have been found drifting south of the maritime border between the two Koreas at times.
Most North Korean crew are released to the North after interrogations by intelligence officials if they wish to return.
It is more unusual for South Korean fishing vessels to be found under similar circumstances.
The incident comes amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula between the North, South and the US.
North Korea has been ramping up threats towards the US and South Korea, increasing testing of nuclear weapons in recent months.
The most recent test took place on September 3 at the Punggye-ri Test Site which was so powerful it was registered as a 5.7 magnitude earthquake by the South Korean government.
China and the US also registered it as an earthquake at an even-stronger 6.3 magnitude.
Kim Jong-un issued another warning to the US as a senior diplomat from Pyongyang said warnings of a possible atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific Ocean should be taken “literally”.
Donald Trump is set to make a visit to Asia next week in a bid to highlight his campaign to put pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs.
The US President told reporters on the White House South Lawn: “I’d rather not say but you’ll be surprised.”
China agreed to UN sanctions on the hermit state which would limit countries from importing North Korean crude oil, iron, lead and coal.
Mr Trump has called for Beijing to do more to put pressure on North Korea. Kim Jong-un to release a captured South Korean fishing boat as a ‘humanitarian act’