The South Korean government on Friday renewed its call on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to release crew members of a fishing boat held in the DPRK.

South Korea's Red Cross sent a message to north of the border through a military hotline earlier in the day to urge the DPRK authorities to send the seven sailors back home, Seoul's unification ministry said in a press briefing.

Pyongyang confirmed a day ago that it is holding the boat for questioning. Four South Koreans and three Chinese were aboard the 41-ton vessel.