(LEAD) Cargo ship sinks off S. Korea's southwestern coast; illegal entry suspected

김현수 / 2023-11-29 12:48:30

(LEAD) submerged cargo ship-suspected illegal entry

▲ This photo, provided by the Mokpo Coast Guard, shows the cargo ship sinking in waters off Gageo Island, 422 km southwest of Seoul, on Nov. 29, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) submerged cargo ship-suspected illegal entry

(LEAD) Cargo ship sinks off S. Korea's southwestern coast; illegal entry suspected

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more info; CHANGES headline; ADDS photo)

MOKPO, South Korea, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) -- An unoccupied cargo ship believed to be Chinese sank in waters off South Korea's southwestern coast Wednesday, prompting officials to investigate a possible illegal entry, the Coast Guard said.

The Mokpo Coast Guard said the 200-ton ship sank in waters off Gageo Island, 422 km southwest of Seoul, at 9:10 a.m., about two hours after being submerged at a 45-degree starboard angle.

The Coast Guard is investigating whether there were any attempts of illegal entry into South Korea, citing no crewmen were found on the ship.

"We are searching the area because there is a possibility that people may have left the ship," a Coast Guard official said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.

The Coast Guard has beefed up security by setting up a task force to search the island and nearby cities for possible signs of illegal entry, and the police are preparing to deploy personnel to support the search efforts.

The Coast Guard also plans to launch an operation to prevent marine pollution from a possible oil spill.

In recent months, Chinese nationals have been caught illegally entering South Korea.

In October, 22 Chinese nationals were detained and indicted for jumping off their ship in waters off the western coastal city of Boryeong in an attempt to illegally enter South Korea.

A Chinese man was also arrested in August for attempting an illegal entry into the coastal waters of Incheon, 27 km west of Seoul, by riding a jet ski from China's northeastern province of Shandong.

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