Missing Navy sailor found dead near Northern Limit Line in East Sea

The body of a sailor who went missing Sunday near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea was found Monday, the South Korean Navy said.

“The body of the Navy sailor who went missing from a patrol vessel operating in the East Sea was recovered at 5:58 a.m. in waters about 52 kilometers [32 miles] east of Geojin-eup in Goseong County,” the Navy said in a press statement.

The cause of death was not specified. 

The sailor, who had been serving aboard a Navy frigate conducting patrol operations about 50 kilometers east of Geojin-eup, Goseong County, Gangwon, was last seen between midnight and 2 a.m. Sunday by the watch stander assigned to conduct an internal security patrol aboard the vessel.

The sailor was reported missing after failing to report for duty at 8 a.m.

The Navy launched a joint search operation with the Korea Coast Guard and deployed around 10 vessels and several aircraft.

The South’s military also notified North Korea of the incident through international maritime communication channels accessible to Pyongyang, as the sailor went missing near the NLL and could have drifted across the maritime border.

BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]