A tragic incident unfolded off the coast of South Korea's Jeju island on Friday when a fishing boat carrying 27 crew members capsized and sank. The 129-ton boat, with 16 South Koreans and 11 Indonesians on board, departed from Jeju's Seogwipo port on Thursday night for a mackerel fishing expedition.
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Friday, a distress signal was received from a nearby fishing vessel as the capsizing occurred approximately 22 kilometers northwest of the island. Despite the valiant efforts of nearby fishing vessels that managed to rescue 15 crew members from the water, tragically, two individuals were pronounced dead upon reaching the shore.
Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, with at least 30 vessels and 13 aircraft from various South Korean agencies deployed to locate the missing crew members. The challenging weather conditions, characterized by strong winds and 2-meter waves, complicated the rescue efforts.
The Jeju coast guard confirmed the sunken boat's location and dispatched divers to search the vessel for any remaining crew members. Of the 13 survivors, nine were Indonesians, while the 12 individuals still missing include 10 South Koreans. South Korean authorities have reached out to the Indonesian Embassy to inform the families of the Indonesian crew members.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has urged officials to utilize all available resources in the ongoing search and rescue mission to locate the missing crew members. The collaborative efforts of the coast guard, police, fire service, military, and civilian vessels aim to bring closure to this tragic maritime incident.
