Tattered wooden ships and dead bodies are washing up on Japanese shores on almost daily basis, but it’s not clear why.
Tattered wooden ships and dead bodies are washing up on Japanese shores on an almost daily basis, but it’s not clear why.
Three boats, one of which was accompanied by two skeletons, were found on Japan’s west coast Thursday. The day before, two dead bodies were discovered near a just offshore. Japanese authorities discovered another skeletonized body Tuesday, and another four bodies washed up Monday.
All of the dead are believed to be North Korean citizens who perished at sea.
Two of the bodies wore pins celebrating Kim Il Sung, the respected founder of North Korea, and one of the boats featured Korean writing that ironically read: “September is boat accident prevention month,” the Washington Post introduced .
In November, over two dozen wooden ships believed to be of North Korean origin appeared on the Japanese coast, and more than 70 suspected North Korean vessels have shown up since the start of this year, with many accompanied by the deceased. The lives of eight men ended aboard a ship that washed ashore in Japan late last month, the New York Times reported.
The barely-seaworthy vessels that wash up on Japanese beaches are called “ ghost ships,” but the ships aren’t always carrying dead bodies or showing up empty.
