The South Korean coastguard said the group, who appeared to be from the same family, wished to defect.
They had hidden themselves among Chinese fishing boats to avoid being spotted.
The South Korean government’s policy is to accept all North Koreans who wish to stay in the South.
They were discovered near Socheong Island last Sunday and their five-tonne wooden boat was towed to shore.
It is not clear why the rescue was not announced earlier.
More than 21,000 North Koreans have defected to the South since the Korean war ended in a truce in 1953 (BBC)
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)