OGA, JAPAN — Eight bodies were found inside a ship found on a Japanese beach this week. <br /> <br />The vessel was discovered in the Sea of Japan close to Oga on the Japanese coast. The Japanese Coast Guard believes it may have come from North Korea. <br /> <br />A 68-year-old local resident alerted Japanese authorities to the ship on Monday morning, Kyodo News reported. She reportedly saw it drifting some 300 meters from shore. <br /> <br />The coast guard found eight bodies inside the ship, as well as a cigarette packet bearing hangul writing. This leads police to suspect it is North Korean in origin, the Japanese Times reported, citing Kyodo News. <br /> <br />The Japan Times reports parts of the bodies were skeletonized, suggesting that the ship was at sea for an extensive amount of time before being found.
