North Korean Consulate in Russia 'Concerned' With Yacht Detention

The North Korean Consulate General in Russia said it was "concerned" with the detention of a yacht carrying Russian athletes, the acting head of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Vladivostok said Saturday.

VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) – The Russian Embassy in North Korea had sent a note demanding explanation from Pyongyang over reports claiming that the North Korean coast guard had detained the Elfin yacht with athletes from Russia’s Far Eastern Primorsky Territory in the Sea of Japan. Russian Far Eastern transport authorities said that the yacht was in neutral waters at the time of the incident.

"The North Korean Consulate General in Russia said it was concerned with the situation and expects the same from the central authorities. In essence, they responded to the note here on site and addressed it to their offices. The same is true in Pyongyang," Igor Agafonov told RIA Novosti.

Agafonov said the Russian Foreign Ministry, its mission in Vladivostok and the Consulate General in North Korea were tasked with working to resolve the situation surrounding the detention through diplomatic channels.

The embassy could not yet confirm whether Russian Consul General Yuri Bochkarev received permission to visit the detained yacht, the diplomat added.

"We expect a lot from this visit," he stressed.

The vessel arrived in the Kimchaek port in North Korea earlier Saturday.

A spokesman of the Vladivostok rescue center said that the crew of the yacht was safe.