Eight Men Found in Japanese Marina Say They Are From North Korea

This picture taken on November 24, 2015 shows coast guard officials investigating another wooden boat at the Fukui port in Sakai city in Fukui prefecture, western Japan after the ship was found drifting off the coast of Fukui. Japan is investigating nearly a dozen suspicious boats recently found drifting off the country's coastline, some with decaying bodies aboard, speculated to come from North Korea. At least 11 cases involving wooden boats -- some badly damaged -- with 20 bodies on board have been reported during October and November. Jiji Press/AFP/Getty Images

TOKYO–Police in northern Japan have found eight men near a boat at a seaside marina who said they were from North Korea, and appear to be fishermen whose vessel ran into trouble, rather than defectors, a police official said on Friday, Nov. 24.

The incident comes at a time of rising tension over North Korea’s nuclear arms and missile programs after President Donald Trump redesignated the isolated nation a state sponsor of terrorism, allowing the United States to levy further sanctions.