Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok on the 9th related to the fishing boat capsizing accident in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, urgently instructed, “Mobilize all available equipment and personnel to prioritize saving lives and to do your utmost to identify the missing.”

On the morning of Nov. 9, a large trawl fishing vessel with 14 crew members on board sinks near Habaekdo, Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do, prompting the Yeosu Coast Guard to mobilize patrol boats for search operations. /Courtesy of Yeosu Coast Guard

Earlier, around 1:41 a.m. on the same day, a 130-ton trawler carrying 14 crew members capsized about 17 kilometers east of Habaekdo, Simsanjeon, Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. According to the Yeosu Coast Guard, as of 9 a.m. that day, 7 of the 14 crew members had been rescued, but 3 were reported dead. The remaining 7 are missing.

Choi noted for the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, the Minister of National Defense, and the governor of South Jeolla Province to actively support the personnel and equipment that can be mobilized for marine rescue to ensure smooth on-site rescue activities. He also instructed to ensure the safety of the rescuers considering the local maritime weather.

The Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Kang Do-hyung, also immediately convened a situation assessment meeting with the relevant agencies and issued a crisis alert of 'serious' in accordance with the related manual, establishing a central accident management headquarters headed by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries.