Missing sailor's body found in East Sea, Navy confirms

The South Korean Navy confirmed on November 13, 2024, that the body of a sailor who went missing at sea has been recovered. The sailor disappeared from a patrol vessel conducting duties in the East Sea on November 12.

According to the Navy, the missing sailor was last seen by a duty officer patrolling the ship's interior corridors between midnight and 2 a.m. The disappearance was discovered around 8 a.m. when the sailor failed to report for duty. The Navy, in coordination with the Coast Guard, launched an extensive search operation involving approximately 10 vessels and several aircraft.

In addition to the domestic search efforts, the Navy notified North Korea through the international maritime communication network. They also requested cooperation from North Korea on humanitarian grounds through the United Nations Command. The incident occurred approximately 50 kilometers east of Geojin, Goseong County, Gangwon Province.