Hong Kong (CNN) Two members of five-person North Korean boat crew that drifted into South Korean waters were repatriated on Tuesday morning, a Unification Ministry official confirmed.

The handover took place at the truce village of Panmunjom where family members received them.

The five fishermen were rescued on July 3 by the South Korean coast guard after the boat's engine failed causing it to drift into South Korean waters.

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While two men expressed their desire to return to North Korea, the other three crew members said they wanted to defect, a South Korean official said.

North Korea's Red Cross sent a stern message to its South Korean counterpart accusing them of forcing people to defect.

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