On the 12th, a South Korean vessel transporting sand and a North Korean fishing boat collided in the East Sea. Two North Korean fishermen have disappeared.
An affiliate with the South Korean government stated that “Around 2:35 AM on the morning of the 12th, at sea 4.9 miles northeast of Jangjin Port, there was a collision between a South Korean vessel and a North Korean fishing boat. Two North Korean fishermen disappeared in the accident.”
“At the moment of the accident, there were four fishermen on the North Korean boat. The other two fishermen were rescued by South Korean crew,” added the affiliate.
It was reported that the South Korean navy and vessels were standing by south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL).
However, the reason for the accident is not yet clear.
Regarding the accident, a source from the Ministry of Unification said that “North Korea should have informed South Korea of the accident according to the Inter-Korea Marine Transportation Agreement, because the accident happened in North Korean waters, but there has not been any report from North Korea yet.”
The second clause of the seventh article of the Inter-Korea Marine Transportation Agreement of 2004 states that “When an accident occurs, the South and the North must report rapidly to the authorities of the other side.”
The source said that “The accident is presumed to be a simple one because it is a collision between boats. However, we need to figure out the exact cause of the accident. Treatment of the event would differ depending on the cause.”
The Ministry of Unification is reportedly investigating the cause and trying to establish who is responsible for the accident, and also researching the legal basis, such as international practices or Inter-Korean agreements.
