Fishing vessel sinks off Jeju, 2 dead and 12 missing

A fishing vessel with 27 people on board sank in waters off Jeju Island on Friday morning, leaving two dead and 12 missing.

The Korea Coast Guard conducts a search and rescue mission in waters approximately 24 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Biyang Island, under the jurisdiction of Jeju Island, on Friday morning. [KOREA COAST GUARD]

A fishing vessel with 27 people on board sank in waters off Jeju Island on Friday morning, leaving two Koreans dead and 12 missing as of 4 p.m.

The Korea Coast Guard received a report at around 4:31 a.m. that the 129-ton boat, named “Keumseong,” was sinking in waters approximately 22 kilometers (13 miles) northwest of Biyang Island.

According to the Coast Guard, 15 people were rescued by another vessel that was operating nearby and arrived at Hallim Port.

Among those rescued, two were pronounced dead after being sent to hospital. The other 13 were rescued in a conscious state and are reportedly experiencing symptoms such as shivers.

Of the missing people, 10 are Koreans and two are Indonesians.

The Coast Guard said the vessel had completely sunk.

Authorities have conducted an underwater search mission since 1 p.m. with 27 divers participating.

During a briefing held on Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard said the current seawater temperature was 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and that they believed the missing fishers could survive for around 24 hours.

On the same day, President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the Defense Ministry, Oceans Ministry and the Coast Guard to invest all viable resources to rescue the missing and to take safety measures for rescue personnel.

Update, Nov.8: Added details about the search and rescue mission, nationalities of the victims and survivors and presidential remarks.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]