South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol orders all accessible sources and personnel to help with seek for survivors.
At the least two persons are lifeless and 12 others lacking after a fishing boat capsized off the coast of South Korea, coastguard officers have stated.
The 120-tonne Geumseong sank about 24 kilometres (15 miles) off the resort island of Jeju after leaving the port of Seogwipo to catch mackerel late on Thursday, the Korea Coast Guard stated on Friday.
The crew on board included 16 South Koreans and 11 foreigners, two of whom are unaccounted for, officers stated.
Coastguard officers stated they obtained a misery sign at about 4:30am on Friday from a close-by fishing vessel that went to the scene to assist rescue their crew.
Crew members instructed the coastguard that the ship abruptly capsized and started to sink whereas they had been transferring their catch to a different ship, in keeping with officers.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered all accessible sources and personnel to be mobilised to help with the rescue, his workplace stated.
At the least 11 vessels and 9 plane from South Korea’s coastguard, police, hearth service and army, and 13 civilian vessels, have been deployed to seek for survivors.