A Navy ship crew member went missing while on patrol near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea, prompting the military to launch a search.
The Navy said on the 12th that "one Navy ship crew member (enlisted soldier) went missing this morning while carrying out a patrol mission about 50 kilometers east of Goseong-gun's Geojin-eup in the East Sea." The missing soldier holds the rank of private first class, and the ship was identified as a frigate.
The soldier was last seen in an interior passageway of the ship by the duty officer responsible for internal patrols between midnight and 2 a.m. It was learned that the disappearance was recognized when the soldier did not report for duty at 8 a.m.
The Navy, jointly with the Korea Coast Guard, has deployed about 10 ships and several aircraft to search for the missing person. Fishing boats at work and nearby merchant ships have also been informed of the situation and are assisting in the search.
The disappearance was also reportedly notified to the North through the international merchant shipping communication network.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, Minister Ahn Gyu-baek received a report on the accident this morning and ordered that every effort be made to rescue the missing person as quickly and safely as possible. He also instructed maintaining active cooperation with relevant agencies, including the Korea Coast Guard.