Seven people died and one person remained unaccounted for after a fishing boat capsized off the southeastern coast Monday, the Coast Guard said, according to Yonhap.
The eight were crew members aboard the 29-ton Geumgwang when the fishing vessel collided with a 456-ton cargo ship and capsized in waters near Gyeongju, about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 5:43 a.m.
Seven crew members -- three South Koreans and four foreign nationals -- were found inside the boat in a state of cardiac arrest and taken to hospitals but were later pronounced dead, according to the Coast Guard.
A search is under way for the remaining one, who is an Indonesian national. Ten people were aboard the cargo ship, but none were harmed, according to officials. The ship also did not appear damaged.
The Coast Guard has sent patrol ships, rescue vessels and helicopters to the scene, and requested support from the oceans ministry, the Navy and firefighting authorities. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo earlier ordered an emergency rescue operation.