Japan gives new evidence on 'spy boat'

Images released by the Japan Coast Guard show a 'missile' (indicated by red arrows) fired from the mystery ship

TOKYO, Japan -- Japan says new evidence including a North Korean cigarette pack and a candy bag bearing the words "Pyongyang" and 'Korea" in Korean script strongly suggest a mysterious ship that sank off its coast last month originated from North Korea.

Land and Transportation Minister Chikage Ogi said both items were found on the bodies of two crewmen found in the area of the sinking.

"We haven't determined the nationality of the boat, but the objects are considered North Korean products," she told Japan's Lower House Transportation Committee on Thursday.

Since the sinking, speculation has been rife in the Japanese media that the boat was a North Korean spy vessel sent to conduct surveillance on Japan.

The ship was encountered by Japan Coast Guard vessels on December 22 in waters that form part of Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Officials say they ordered the vessel to stop for inspection but it fled towards Chinese waters before sinking in the East China Sea following an exchange of fire with Japanese gunboats.

'Piracy'

CNN.com Asia More news from our Asia edition

The bodies of two of the estimated 15 crew were recovered later -- one wearing a lifejacket with Korean lettering.

The other 13 crew are presumed dead.

Whilst denying any knowledge of the boat, North Korea reacted angrily to the sinking, accusing Japan of "brutal piracy" and threatening unspecified "countermeasures".

In its comments on the sinking, North Korean officials have accused Japan of mounting a "smear campaign" over the ship's origins.

"The Japanese authorities are groundlessly linking the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] with the incident in a bid to mislead public opinion," a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying.

"This is an unpardonable smear campaign against the dignified DPRK."

Japan has said it plans to raise the vessel from the seabed, some 100 meters below the surface.

However, officials say that the operation may be delayed until spring when the waters in the area are less stormy.