The China Post
Date: October 15, 2016
By: CNA

TAIPEI–Taiwan said Friday that it has no fishery cooperation with North Korea, denying a South Korean news report that Taiwanese fishing vessels have been paying North Korea to fish in its waters.

South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported earlier in the day that North Korea has been allowing Taiwanese fishermen to operate in waters off its east coast in return for funds for its leader, Kim Jong-un, citing a source familiar with North Korean affairs.

The sale of fishing rights allows Taiwanese boats to operate legally within North Korea’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the East Sea, the report said.

According to the report, dozens of Taiwanese fishing vessels have been found to be operating in the East Sea in North Korean waters.

Pyongyang is facing financial difficulties due to increasingly tough international sanctions, the report said.     [FULL  STORY]