4 North Korean Defectors Cross Maritime Border to South Korea

South Korean military locate boat in waters east of Sokcho, Gangwon Province, and secured the four North Koreans onboard.

A South Korean flag hanging on a military barbed wire fence flutters at Imjingak peace park near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas in the border city of Paju on April 16, 2013. Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images

A group of North Korean citizens reportedly crossed the maritime border with South Korea in a boat on Tuesday and expressed their intent to defect.

The South Korean military located the boat in waters east of Sokcho, Gangwon Province, and secured four individuals onboard. They have since been transferred to a safe location, Yonhap News Agency reported.