Chinese fishermen kidnapped by North Korean armed

Twenty-nine Chinese fishermen were abducted and their boats seized at sea by the North Koreans armed that demand a ransom of 1.2 million yuan (150,000 euros), reported Thursday, May 17 relatives of victims and newspapers.

The fishermen were on May 8 aboard three ships when the attack occurred: the North Koreans are mounted force aboard ships they have seized by neutralizing the crews, reported a shipowner named Sun.

According to the official Chinese press, fishermen from the port of Donggang were off the coast of north-eastern China , in the waters between China and North Korea when they were abducted.

VERY RARE INCIDENT BETWEEN CHINA AND NORTH KOREA

"On May 9, one of the captains of ships taken hostage has called us by using a telephone provided by the kidnappers. He said the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 400,000 yuan (50,000 euros) per boat," he told AFP.

Incidents involving Chinese fishermen, who tend to go more far looking fish, are not uncommon in Asia because of disputes over sovereignty over the waters separating China from its neighbors, including Japan , the Vietnam and the Philippines . But marine incidents between China and North Korea , two countries allies, are very rare.