South Korean Ship Seized by North

The tense standoff between North and South Korea had another flareup Sunday, as a South Korean fishing boat was seized by the North after allegedly traveling in the latter country’s exclusive economic zone. The boat, holding four South Koreans and three Chinese, was towed back toward the North Korean city of Songjin. Though maritime disputes are not uncommon on the divided peninsula, the March destruction of a South Korean naval ship, which killed tens of sailors and has been blamed on North Korea, has caused relations between the two nations to be even more tense than normal. South Korea has demanded the speedy return of the fishing boat and its crew members, though one expert on North Korean affairs says that it may take as much a month for the North to conclude its investigation.