The military and maritime police search for the bodies of officials of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, who were missing on the waters of Soyeonpyeong Island at the northern end of the West Sea, and were attacked and killed in North Korea, but there have been no significant results.



The Maritime Police Agency announced on the 21st of last month that it is conducting a intensive search by dividing the sea near Yeonpyeong Island into six zones to find the body and belongings of A (47), a fishery instructor belonging to the West Sea Fishery Guidance Management Group of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries who was missing. .



The search range extends from the west of Yeonpyeongdo Island to the south of Socheongdo Island, 96km wide and 18.5km long.



The coast guard said that A's body or belongings were being searched for the possibility of being floated south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) of the West Sea, but no singularity has been discovered until this morning.



In the search, a total of 36 ships, including 28 ships from the sea and navy and 8 government ships, and 7 aircraft were put into force.



The Navy deployed 12 ships and 3 aircraft, including 5 500t class ships, 4 special maneuvering ships, 1 300t class, 1 100t class, 1 50t class, and 16 ships and 4 aircraft respectively.



Eight government ships such as Ongjin-gun were also mobilized to search.



The Navy took over three areas close to the West Sea NLL, and the Coast Guard took over the remaining three seas below it.



The Coast Guard believes that there is a possibility that belongings, etc. may have flowed out of the search range due to the influence of the tide, and other maritime security ships have also been forced to conduct their usual security and search activities.



A maritime police official said, "The time to end the search has not yet been determined," and "We will continue to search."



Earlier, the Coast Guard said it was judged that Mr. A fled North Korea based on the intelligence data confirmed by the Ministry of Defense and the results of predicted maritime drift analysis.



The Coast Guard secures and analyzes financial transaction details and communication records to further confirm Mr. A's pre-death history.



In addition, he commissioned the National Institute of Scientific Investigation to analyze the common computer (PC) and closed circuit (CC) TV of the fishing guidance ship he was on before his disappearance.



(Photo = Courtesy of Incheon Maritime Police Station, Yonhap News)