Japan's coastguard says it has found three people adrift in a small boat off the country's west coast with media reporting they are from North Korea but are not defectors.
"We confirmed three people were on board," a spokesman at the Japan Coast Guard said, adding their vessel was drifting about one kilometre off the western Japanese island of Oki, northwest of the main island of Honshu.
Korean script was visible on the small wooden boat, the official said, while noting the agency had not confirmed where the three had come from. No further details were available immediately.
Public broadcaster NHK reported they were all males and quoted an official as saying they had come from North Korea. (The Australian)
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