Photo: Screenshot from the official WeChat account of the Chinese Consulate General in Gwangju

Following the successive capsizing of two Chinese fishing boats near South Korean waters on Sunday and Monday, eight individuals have been rescued, two have been confirmed dead, and 12 remain missing so far, the Chinese Consulate General in Gwangju said on its official WeChat account on Tuesday evening. Chinese and Korean coast guards have continued to jointly conduct full-scale search and rescue operations, the consulate added.

The Consulate expressed appreciation and gratitude to the South Korean side for their sustained and full-effort rescue operations. 

It also said that after initial verification, the two fishing vessels have complete documents and were on normal operation.

Regarding the consecutive capsizing incidents resulting in significant casualties, the Consulate expressed profound sorrow and is treating the rescue efforts with utmost importance, having activated its emergency response mechanism immediately.

The Consulate said it is also coordinating with South Korean authorities to investigate the cause of the accidents and implement targeted preventive measures to avoid similar tragedies.

The Chinese Embassy in South Korea also expressed deep sorrow over the accidents on its official WeChat account on Tuesday evening, stating that it will fully support and assist the Consulate, while coordinating with South Korean authorities to investigate the accidents, adopt targeted preventive measures, and make every effort to prevent the recurrence of similar tragedies.

Dai Bing, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, also extended appreciation and gratitude to the South Korean coast guard for conducting sustained and full-scale rescue efforts on his X account, and noted that the Chinese side will strengthen preventive measures to ensure the safety of the fishermen during their operations.

A 99-ton Chinese fishing boat capsized on Monday some 150 kilometers southwest of the island of Eocheong, Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, at 8:53 am with two of the 11 crew members rescued and the other nine gone missing, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

South Korean coast guards decided to continue search and rescue operation overnight for nine people that went missing on Monday, according to the Yonhap. 

The South Korean coast guards had designated the next three days as a focused search period to locate the missing people and decided to conduct an overnight search starting Monday.

The Chinese coast guard also dispatched patrol vessels to the accident site, shared information with their South Korean counterpart and conducted a joint search operation for the missing people.

Earlier on Sunday, a Chinese fishing boat capsized off South Korea's southwestern Gageo Island, leaving three crew members missing and two others dead. There were 11 people on board; so far six have been rescued, South Korean Coast Guard officials said, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

The 98-ton vessel sank in international waters about 80 kilometers off Gageo Island at around 6:50 am, according to officials, the Yonhap reported.


Global Times