Busan-Registered Fishing Vessel Sinks Off Geoje Coast... Coast Guard "7 Rescued, 3 Missing" (Comprehensive)

[Photo by Tongyeong Coast Guard] [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] At 3:57 PM on the 23rd, the 339-ton fishing vessel 127 Daeyang, registered in Yeongdo-gu, Busan, sank 1.11 km southeast off Galgotdo, Nambu-myeon, Geoje-si, Gyeongnam Province, and the Coast Guard is conducting rescue operations.

The Tongyeong Coast Guard received the report through the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and dispatched 11 patrol boats and 2 aircraft to the scene.

At the time, there were 10 crew members on board, including 9 Koreans and 1 Indonesian, of whom 7 were rescued at the scene. The Coast Guard reported that the rescued individuals were conscious and were transported to a nearby hospital.

The Coast Guard is conducting a search for the remaining 3 crew members and investigating the cause of the accident.

Jeon Hae-cheol, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, urged, "All administrative resources including the Coast Guard, Navy, Busan City, Yeongdo-gu, Gyeongnam Province, and Geoje City must be mobilized to fully focus on search and rescue operations and ensure the safety of rescue personnel." He also instructed to identify the crew list, inform their families, and do their best to support visits to the site.