Like something out of a horror movie, a ghost-ship filled with the skeletal remains of at least eight sailors washed ashore a western Japanese beach on Monday; raising suspicions that the doomed seafarers were North Korean defectors trying to flee the communist state as conditions spiral out of control.
According to Fox News, a Japanese civilian first spotted the rotting, 22-foot long ship listing off the coast of Miyazawa Beach along the Sea of Japan. Government officials say the remains were “skeletonized” due to the harsh sea conditions and had likely been afloat for long period before reaching Japan.
“I was surprised to see the boat in such a bad condition,” one woman told Kyodo News.
The discovery comes just days after a body was found off another western-facing beach in Japan. The unidentified victim was reportedly wearing North Korean boots, had North Korean cigarettes, and possessed hand-written letters in Korean.
The new developments raise serious concerns over the rapidly declining conditions inside the hermit Kingdom. Last week, a soldier dashed to freedom across the heavily fortified DMZ; being shot five times before reaching South Korea.
Upon examination, the North Korean soldier –a relatively well-paid and impressive position within Kim’s military- was found to be riddled with dozens of parasites, including foot-long words throughout his intestines.