채윤환
| 2026-07-12 17:34:01
(2nd LD) Navy crewman-missing
(2nd LD) Navy searches for sailor missing during East Sea patrol
(ATTN: UPDATES with unification ministry's statement in last 4 paras)
SEOUL, July 12 (Yonhap) -- A Navy sailor went missing Sunday while aboard a naval vessel on a patrol mission in the East Sea near the de facto inter-Korean maritime border, prompting a search operation, the military said.
The sailor, whose identity was withheld, was reported missing Sunday morning, while the vessel was on patrol about 50 kilometers off Geojin in Gangwon Province, near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), according to the military.
The Navy launched a search operation in cooperation with the Coast Guard, deploying around 10 ships and aircraft.
The sailor, who held the rank of seaman apprentice, was last seen by a crew member on the overnight watch aboard a Navy frigate between midnight and 2 a.m.
He was reported missing after failing to report for duty for the morning watch.
The military also notified North Korea of the disappearance through international merchant ship communication channels.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back instructed officials to do their utmost to rescue the missing sailor promptly and safely.
The unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs also issued a press statement, requesting North Korea's cooperation in searching for the missing sailor.
"It appears there is a possibility (the sailor) drifted north of the NLL," the ministry said. "As our Navy is currently searching for the missing sailor, (we) request cooperation in the search and repatriation of the missing sailor on humanitarian grounds."
The ministry noted that while it has not identified clear signs the sailor drifted north of the NLL, it was taking a preemptive measure to request the North's cooperation.
The statement through the press comes as inter-Korean communication channels currently remain severed amid strained cross-border ties.
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