South Korean authorities announced today that rescuers are searching for 9 people who went missing after a fishing boat they were carrying capsized off the southwestern coast of the country.
The 24-ton ship capsized in the waters on Saturday night off the coast of Sinan County in South Jeolla Province, the South Korean Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that a nearby ship managed to rescue 3 crew members, but 9 others, including two foreigners, are still missing.
It added that it had sent more than 12 ships and 3 coast guard and navy aircraft to search for the missing persons.
South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted Interior Minister Lee Sang-min as saying he believed most of the crew had left the ill-fated ship.
South Korean President Yoon Sok-yol called for maximum efforts in search and rescue operations and ordered the mobilization of “all available resources” to expand the search area, his office said.