Ministry of Unification [Provided by the Ministry of Unification]

As military authorities are currently searching for a Navy crew member who went missing on the 12th while on patrol near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea, the Ministry of Unification announced that it is requesting cooperation from the North for the search and repatriation of the missing person.

In a press notice titled "Request for Cooperation from North Korea regarding the Search and Repatriation of a Missing Navy Sailor in the East Sea" issued this afternoon, the Ministry of Unification stated, "It appears that a Navy soldier, who was performing patrol duties on a vessel in the East Sea on July 12, has gone missing and may have drifted north of the NLL."

The Ministry of Unification added, "As our Navy is currently searching for the missing person, we request cooperation in the search and repatriation of the individual from a humanitarian perspective."

The ministry explained that while no specific evidence has confirmed that the soldier drifted north of the NLL, it is preemptively seeking cooperation from North Korea given the proximity of the incident to the NLL. It further noted that since all inter-Korean communication channels are currently severed, it is conveying the request for cooperation through the media.

An official from the Ministry of National Defense also stated, "The military is keeping all possibilities open and is making every effort to safely search for and rescue the missing person while maintaining a cooperative system with relevant agencies."

Earlier this morning, an enlisted soldier serving on a Navy frigate went missing while on patrol about 50 kilometers east of Geojin-eup, Goseong-gun, in the East Sea.

The Navy and the Korea Coast Guard have deployed over 10 vessels and several aircraft to search for the missing soldier. It is reported that the fact of the disappearance has also been notified to the North through channels such as the international merchant ship radio network, which North Korea is also able to monitor.