Gyeongju/Seoul, Dec 9 Seven people died and one person remained unaccounted for after a fishing boat capsized off the southeastern coast on Monday, the Coast Guard said.
There were eight crew members aboard the 29-tonne Geumgwang when the fishing vessel collided with a 456-tonne cargo ship and capsized in waters near Gyeongju, about 270 kilometres 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, Yonhap news agency reported.
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.
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