North Korea demands Japan pay compensation for sinking boat

North Korea's foreign ministry "strongly demanded" on Saturday that Japan pay compensation for a fishing boat that sank when it collided with a Japanese patrol boat this week, North Korean state media reported. A foreign ministry spokesman said the collision on Monday was deliberate and "a gangster act" by Japan, which should take steps to prevent future incidents, according to a statement carried by state news agency KCNA.

"We strongly demand that the Japanese government compensate for the infliction of the material damage by sinking our vessel," the spokesman said. "If such an incident occurs again, Japan will face an undesirable consequence." Japan's foreign ministry dismissed North Korea's statement as "unacceptable," saying the collision occurred when a North Korean fishing boat took a sharp turn while a Japanese patrol boat was warning it to sail away.