after a joint investigation found a South Korean fishing boat did not violate Japanese waters, an official said Saturday. The six-hour confrontation ended late Friday evening when four Japanese patrol vessels withdrew. A joint check found that the fishing boat had been in South Korean waters, said Han Kap-hun, an officer with the country's coast guard.
The incident began when the 134-ton fishing boat sent an emergency radio message to South Korea's coast guard saying it was being chased by Japanese patrol vessels.
