Fishing Boat Catching Hongge Crabs Sinks Off Gyeongju Coast, '6 Missing'... Search Operations Continue for Two Days

Published 20 Feb.2021 09:15(KST)

Updated 12 Aug.2025 15:29(KST)

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A fishing boat carrying six crew members capsized off the coast of Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, and the coast guard is conducting search operations but has not yet found the missing persons. The photo shows the presumed capsized vessel. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] A fishing boat capsized off the coast of Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, and the Coast Guard has been conducting search operations for six missing crew members for two days.

According to the Pohang Coast Guard on the 20th, the 9.77-ton Hongge crab fishing boat Georyongho, which departed from Pohang Guryongpo Port around 3 a.m. the previous day, was reported to be sinking at sea 43 km east of Gampo at 6:49 p.m.

A friend of one of the crew members on board immediately reported the incident to the Coast Guard by phone, but communication with the crew member was lost afterward.

The Coast Guard, which launched a search, dropped a beacon and conducted a nighttime search, discovering the fishing boat around 9:35 p.m., about 2 hours and 40 minutes after receiving the report, but the survival status of the captain and crew remains unknown.

The vessel involved in the accident had six people on board: two Koreans including the captain, three Vietnamese crew members, and one Chinese-Korean.

The Pohang Coast Guard, which conducted an overnight search, has deployed 26 vessels including a 1,500-ton large ship, navy high-speed boats, and fishery patrol vessels, as well as seven aircraft including helicopters and navy maritime patrol planes, continuing search operations for the second day.

The accident area, currently under a storm warning, is experiencing severe weather conditions with strong winds of 13 to 16 m/s and high waves of 2.5 to 3.5 meters.