The Navy said Monday it has recovered the body of a sailor who went missing the previous day during a patrol mission in the East Sea. The sailor disappeared Sunday morning about 50 kilometers off Geojin in Gangwon Province.
According to the Navy the body was spotted at 5:58 a.m. Monday in waters 52 km off Geojin's east coast. It was retrieved by rigid inflatable boat at 6:43 a.m.
The body is expected to reach the naval base in Donghae by Monday morning aboard a frigate. The late sailor held the rank of seaman apprentice and was reported missing after failing to report for the morning watch.
The Navy launched an all-out search with the Coast Guard deploying around 10 ships and aircraft. Police and military investigative agencies plan to jointly examine the incident and the cause of death.
The military notified North Korea of the disappearance through merchant ship channels. The Unification Ministry requested Pyongyang's cooperation in the search and repatriation on humanitarian grounds.
