By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

An actress and three others on a leisure boat had to be rescued by the Navy after drifting into the maritime boundary between North and South Korea.

Jung Yang and three men left a beach in Incheon Tuesday for a trial run of the boat, according to the coast guard Friday. They did not report the trip to the authorities as this is unnecessary for boat trips under five miles.

According to the coast guard, the group stopped on a nearby island for lunch before setting sail again. However, they became lost and wandered into fog.

After being adrift for roughly two hours without proper navigational equipment, they encountered a North Korean fishing boat near the Northern Limit Line (NLL). Mistaking it for a South Korean boat, they approached it and spoke to the fishermen. However, after hearing their North Korean accents, they turned the boat round and headed in the opposite direction.

They immediately sent an emergency distress message to the coast guard, and a naval vessel rescued them. The Navy and coast guard questioned them, but said they did not believe the four people had tried to cross over to the North.

For sailing beyond five miles without a report, they will be fined 400,000 won, the coast guard said.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr