South Korea’s Ministry of Unification announced that it has requested assistance from North Korea in searching for a South Korean navy officer who went missing near the border between the two countries.
The request was sent through a text message to journalists because there is currently no communication channel connecting the two countries, according to the ministry responsible for inter-Korean relations.
The ministry said the message was addressed to the North Korean government, as reported by Reuters.
It stated: “On July 12, a navy sailor went missing while carrying out coastal security duties in the East Sea, and it is possible that he was swept away by the current and crossed north of the maritime boundary line between the two countries.”
The boundary mentioned is known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL), which separates the maritime waters between South Korea and North Korea.
The ministry added: “As our naval forces continue search operations for the missing person, we request cooperation in locating and safely returning him on humanitarian grounds.”
The administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has been seeking to ease tensions with North Korea since he took office last year.
However, repeated efforts to hold talks with North Korea have continued to be rejected by Pyongyang. In 2024, North Korea declared that South Korea was its principal enemy.
