Two crew members remained missing on Monday after a fishing vessel capsized off South Korea’s Jeju Island, while nine others were rescued, according to local authorities.
The 29-ton coastal longline fishing boat overturned in waters about 65 kilometres northwest of Chagwi Island, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
Nearby fishing vessels rescued nine crew members — eight Indonesian nationals and one Vietnamese national.
However, an Indonesian crew member and the vessel’s South Korean captain remained missing, the Jeju Coast Guard said.
Authorities launched a major search operation involving a helicopter, naval and coast guard vessels and civilian fishing boats in an effort to locate the two missing crew members.
Officials also identified a discrepancy in the vessel’s records. The fishing boat had declared eight people on board in its departure report, but authorities later determined that it was actually carrying 11 crew members.
The circumstances surrounding the vessel’s capsizing and the discrepancy in the reported number of crew were under investigation.