JAKARTA - A South Korean Navy sailor went missing on Sunday while on board a naval vessel on a patrol mission in the East Sea near the inter-Korean maritime border, triggering a search operation, the military said.
The sailor, whose identity was not disclosed, was reported missing on Sunday morning, while the ship was patrolling about 50 kilometers from Geojin in Gangwon Province, near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), according to the military, reported by The Korea Times (13/7).
The Navy launched a search operation in cooperation with the Coast Guard, deploying about 10 ships and aircraft.
The sailor, who was an apprentice sailor, was last seen by a crew member on duty on the Navy frigate between midnight and 2 a.m.
He was reported missing after failing to report for duty in the morning.
The military also notified North Korea of the sailor's disappearance through international merchant shipping communication channels.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back instructed officials to do their best to rescue the missing sailors immediately and safely.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification, which is responsible for inter-Korean affairs, also issued a press statement, asking for North Korea's cooperation in the search for the missing sailors.
"It seems there is a possibility (the sailor) drifted north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL)," the ministry said.
"Because our Navy is currently looking for missing sailors, (we) ask for cooperation in the search and repatriation of missing sailors on humanitarian grounds," he continued.
The ministry noted that although it had not identified clear signs that the sailors had drifted north of the NLL, they took preventive measures by asking for North Korean cooperation.
This statement through the press comes at a time when inter-Korean communication channels are currently cut off amid tense cross-border relations.
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