North Korea's foreign ministry demanded compensation from Tokyo after a collision between its fishing vessel and Japanese patrol boat earlier this week.

A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman today called the collision between the two countries' ships on Oct. 7 a Japanese "gangster act" suggesting Tokyo should take measures to prevent similar incidents. out in the future, the North Korean central news agency KCNA reported.

"We resolutely demand that the Japanese government compensate for material damage after the sinking of our ship," the spokesman said. "If a similar incident recurs, Japan will face unexpected consequences."

"Japan is anxiously seeking to justify its deliberate actions," said an official from the North Korean Foreign Ministry. "However, they could not evade responsibility for sinking our ship, threatening the safety of the crew."

The Japanese Coast Guard announced on Sunday it rescued 60 North Korean crewmembers from a sunken fishing vessel after colliding with a Chinese patrol boat. At the time, Korean fishing boats were illegally fishing in Japan's exclusive economic zone.