Fishing Boat Sinks Off Jeju, 12 Missing... "Search Operations Continue" (Comprehensive)

Complete Sinking of Hull, 15 People Rescued

A fishing vessel carrying 27 people sank off the coast of Jeju, resulting in 13 people missing, and search operations are underway.

Location of fishing boat sinking northwest of Biyangdo. Yonhap News

At around 4:33 a.m. on the 8th, the Coast Guard received a report that the 129-ton purse seiner Geumseongho, registered in Busan, was sinking about 24 km northwest of Biyangdo, Jeju.

According to the Coast Guard, the crew on board Geumseongho consisted of 27 people, including 16 Koreans and 11 foreigners, according to the entry-exit management system. Currently, 14 people have been rescued by nearby vessels and brought to Hallim Port in Jeju.

Among them, 2 are unconscious, and 13 are conscious; all have been transported to nearby hospitals. The remaining 12 are missing.

According to the Coast Guard's confirmation with the rescued crew, it is estimated that Geumseongho capsized and sank suddenly while transferring the catch to a transport vessel.

The Geumseongho hull has completely sunk, and the Coast Guard is conducting search operations at the site to find the missing persons. Currently, 10 Coast Guard vessels and 4 aircraft, 3 Navy vessels and 1 aircraft, 1 fisheries guidance vessel, and 8 civilian fishing boats have been deployed.

At the accident site, a northeast wind is blowing at 4 to 6 meters per second, and waves are about 1 meter high.