At around 1:40 a.m., the 139-ton trawler with 14 crew members on board disappeared from radar approximately 17 kilometers east of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.
Coastguards dispatched patrol boats and other available vessels to the scene and rescued four foreign crew members — two Indonesians and two Vietnamese.
But three South Koreans including a captain in his 60s were found dead. One South Korean crew member was found unconscious later in the morning but was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
The survivors showed symptoms of hypothermia and were transported to a nearby hospital in Goheung for treatment.
Search and rescue operations continue, as the remaining missing crew members, four South Koreans, one Vietnamese, and one Indonesian, may still be trapped inside the capsized trawler.
One rescued foreign crew member said, "Strong gusts and waves caused the ship to capsize," but the exact cause of the accident needs to be investigated.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered officials to mobilize all available resources to support the search and rescue efforts, in coordination with relevant agencies including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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