February 10, 2025
SEOUL – At least four people have been confirmed dead after a fishing boat carrying 14 crew members capsized off the coast of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, the Yeosu Coast Guard Station said Sunday.
According to the Coast Guard, a report that the 139-ton Seogyeong trawler may have sunk was made by a nearby fishing vessel at 1:41 a.m., when the trawler suddenly disappeared from its radar.
Two hours later, authorities recovered seven crew members aboard a lifeboat, but three of them died, including the captain, 66. The three who died were Korean nationals.
The other four crew members in the lifeboat — two Vietnamese and two Indonesian nationals — were transferred to a nearby hospital Sunday morning after showing signs of hypothermia.
At 8:42 a.m., the Coast Guard found an eighth crew member floating unconscious near the location of the sinking, who was pronounced dead in the afternoon.
As of 5:17 p.m., the agency announced that it had found the sunken trawler at a depth of 80 meters and 400 meters from the location where it was suspected to have sunk. It also found one out of the six missing crewmembers. As of press time, it was unclear whether the newly discovered crew member was found dead or alive.
Based on testimony provided by the rescued Vietnamese crewmembers, the Coast Guard stated during a press briefing Sunday that the trawler “suddenly tilted and sank.”
“After checking with the rescued Vietnamese crew, it seems that the vessel suddenly tilted violently to the left while sailing and capsized,” said a Coast Guard official. “The 11 crew members jumped into the sea without life jackets, according to the testimony.”
Since Sunday morning, authorities were searching for missing crew crew members that remain unaccounted for, focusing on an area within five kilometers of where the boat is believed to have sunk.
One Indonesian, one Vietnamese and four Korean crew members are still missing. Authorities said three of them were last seen inside the vessel before the accident while the others were seen in the water.
The exact cause behind the accident is still being investigated, though rescued crew members testified to the police that the trawler capsized due to bad weather, including strong winds and waves.
While the Seogyeong was moving as a fleet with four other fishing vessels, it reportedly did not send a distress signal to the other fishing vessels or the Coast Guard. Authorities believe that the vessel sank so suddenly that it was unable to send out a signal.
The Coast Guard said it had deployed 24 patrol vessels, four navy vessels, 13 aircraft, three vessels from affiliated agencies as well as 15 civilian fishing boats to look for the missing crew.
However, as unfavorable weather conditions continued, the authorities’ rescue efforts have faced hurdles. On Sunday morning, a 5-ton Coast Guard patrol vessel also capsized near the site of the accident due to high waves. The Coast Guard immediately dispatched another patrol vessel and the crew members on board were successfully rescued.
The Ministry of Interior and Safety has set up an emergency response headquarters in cooperation with the South Jeolla provincial government and the city government of Yeosu to help organize the search and rescue operation while also providing support for those affected by the accident.
Following the incident, acting President Choi Sang-mok instructed relevant agencies to mobilize all available equipment and personnel to ensure that rescue activities at the scene proceed smoothly to locate the missing crew members.
Meanwhile, the recent incident comes less than 10 days after another fishing vessel capsized near Jeju Island on Feb. 1, leaving three people dead and one missing. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the number of fatalities and missing people from fishing vessel accidents rose to 119 in 2024, recording the highest in 10 years and a 52 percent increase compared to 2023’s numbers, which stood at 41.