EIGHT bodies have been recovered from a wrecked boat that washed ashore in central Japan, authorities said today, suspecting that the vessel is the latest in a series of North Korean “ghost ships”.

Coast guard rescuers found the corpses of seven men inside the wreckage of the boat that washed up in Kanazawa, central Japan, last week, senior police official Hiroshi Abe told AFP.

The badly decomposed remains of another man were discovered 15m from the boat, added Abe.

“It is difficult to identify the bodies as they have begun to decompose,” he said, noting that rough seas had prevented officials from investigating the boat thoroughly.

“We spotted a tobacco box that contained some Korean letters, but we can’t confirm that the boat came from North Korea.”

However, coast guard officials believe that it is the latest North Korean fishing vessel to wash up on the coast, following a record number of such cases last year.

Television footage showed the wreckage of the flat-bottomed vessel capsized on the beach.

According to TV Asahi, a badge depicting former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was found in the wreckage.

The number of North Korean fishing vessels washing up on Japan’s coast hit a record 104 cases last year, following 66 in 2016, according to the Japanese coast guard.

Sometimes, the crew members have already died at sea, a phenomenon that local media refers to as “ghost ships”.

Experts say some North Korean fishermen are travelling further out to sea in order to satisfy government mandates for bigger catches.

But, their old and poorly equipped vessels are prone to mechanical and other problems, including running out of fuel, and there are few ways for them to call for rescue. – AFP, January 16, 2018.