DHAKA: South Korea says rival North Korea is allowing six detained South Koreans to return home.

The South’s unification ministry said on Thursday in a short statement that the South Koreans on Friday will cross over the heavily armed border at the truce village of Panmunjom.

The statement says Seoul plans to investigate how the South Koreans entered North Korea.

Their identities weren’t immediately clear. Nor was it clear their connection to four South Koreans who the North said in 2010 it was investigating for illegally entering the country.

Seoul says it has repeatedly asked Pyongyang to confirm those citizens’ identities but has received no reply, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1514 HRS, OCT 24, 2013
RoR/JCK