A fishing boat capsized and sank off the coast of South Korea’s Jeju Island on Friday, leaving at least two people dead and a dozen missing.
The boat, carrying 27 crew members, was on a mackerel fishing trip when it sank 24km northwest of Jeju, coast guard official Kim Han-na said.
Nearby fishing vessels rescued 15 crew members but two were confirmed dead after being brought ashore, she said.
The 13 survivors did not suffer serious injuries.
The crew members included 16 South Koreans and 11 foreigners.
The coast guard received a distress call at around 4.33am local time reporting that the vessel was sinking off Jeju’s Biyang coast.
A rescue operation, involving some 27 vessels and nine aircraft, was underway to locate and get back the missing crew members.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol urged state agencies to mobilise all resources for the search and rescue operation.
The rescued crew members said the boat unexpectedly capsized and sank as it was transferring its catch to another vessel.
Additional reporting by agencies.
