A wooden boat found on the rocky shore of Woljeong-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, on January 12. Provided by Jeju Coast Guard

A mysterious wooden boat discovered on the coast of Udo, Jeju, yielded what is believed to be a copy of the Rodong Sinmun of North Korea, prompting the investigative authorities to begin an inquiry.

According to the Coast Guard and police, at around 9:40 a.m. on the 4th a report from a resident that a derelict wooden boat had drifted ashore on the coast of Udo-myeon in Jeju City was received by the Coast Guard.

The boat found measures 4ｍ in length and 1ｍ in width and was reportedly in a deteriorated condition. A fragment of paper believed to be the Rodong Sinmun of North Korea was discovered in a gap between the interior wooden planks. No other items were confirmed.

Nearby residents believe the boat was pushed ashore by waves about 2~3 days earlier, when a high seas warning was in effect in waters off Jeju.

At present, the police, the National Intelligence Service, and the Coast Guard are on site verifying whether the publication is indeed the Rodong Sinmun and are closely examining how the wooden boat entered the area.

Meanwhile, in Jeju, after a wooden boat was found on the coast of Sindori in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo City, on December 30 last year, wooden boats were subsequently discovered on the coast of Woljeong-ri in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, on January 12 this year, and on the coast of Hagwi 2-ri in Aewol-eup, Jeju City, on January 29. All previous cases were found to involve no counterespionage suspicions or criminal possibilities.