SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says it has deported 2 North Koreans after finding they had killed 16 fellow fishermen onboard and fled to South Korea.

South Korea's Unification Ministry said Thursday the two North Koreans were initially found aboard a boat south of the sea border last Saturday.

It says a South Korean investigation later found they killed 16 colleagues aboard a fishing boat and escaped to South Korea.

Ministry spokesman Lee Sang-min says South Korea expelled them to North Korea via an inter-Korean border village on Thursday.

He says Seoul had earlier informed Pyongyang of their planned deportations.

Details of the alleged onboard killings weren't immediately known.