Jeju coast guard: capsized fishing boat was carrying heavy catch when swells hit
In short
A 29-tonne fishing boat registered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, capsized off Jeju on 5 October with 11 people aboard. Nine crew were rescued, the 58-year-old Korean captain was found dead and one Indonesian crew member is still missing. Jeju coast guard said surviving crew described the boat as carrying more catch than usual when a swell hit it, and that the exact cause is still under investigation.
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A 29-tonne offshore gillnet fishing boat registered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, capsized in waters off Jeju on 5 October, and Jeju coast guard said on 6 October that surviving crew described the boat as carrying more catch than usual when it was struck by a swell. The coast guard said the exact cause would be determined through investigation. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the capsize at 03:04 about 65 km northwest of Chagwido in Jeju City's Hangyeong-myeon, while Hankook Ilbo gave the time as 03:10 and the position as about 65 km west of Chagwido. [ 1 , 3 ]
Eleven people were aboard, and nine — eight Indonesians and one Vietnamese, according to the coast guard — were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel. The 58-year-old Korean captain was found unresponsive in the cabin during an underwater search on 6 October and pronounced dead after being taken to hospital; Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the discovery at around 09:00 and Hankook Ilbo at 09:06. An Indonesian crew member aged 27 is still missing, and the coast guard said the search continues with 8 vessels and 5 aircraft over an area about 37 km across, alongside underwater searches depending on weather. [ 1 , 3 ]
According to crew statements cited by the coast guard, the boat was fishing for yellow corvina but caught large quantities of mackerel, so the nets full of fish could not be emptied on board. The crew decided to head for Mosulpo port in Seogwipo early and sailed with the nets piled in the fish hold, gear storage and bow. The boat was then hit by a swell on its port side and rolled over to starboard. The coast guard said wind was blowing at 12–14 metres per second with waves 2.5 metres high under a wind-wave advisory, while noting that a 29-tonne vessel has no obligation to take shelter in such conditions. [ 1 , 3 ]
The coast guard also said it is investigating why the departure report filed through the V-PASS automated system listed 8 people when 11 were actually aboard. The boat's capacity is 12, so it was not over capacity, but crew-change reporting appears to have been omitted. Seoul Shinmun covered the accident mainly by comparing it with an earlier deadly capsize of a fully loaded fishing boat, while the coast guard said both the cause of the accident and the crew-reporting discrepancy require further investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The accident puts attention on stability risks for fishing boats that sail with catch piled on deck, and on the gap between reported and actual crew numbers in the V-PASS departure system, which the coast guard said it will investigate. A second outlet framed the case alongside an earlier deadly capsize, suggesting the incident feeds an existing debate about fishing safety. The documents give no further basis for consequences beyond the ongoing search and investigation.
Key facts
- A 29-tonne offshore gillnet fishing boat registered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, capsized off Jeju on 5 October with 11 people aboard. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Nine crew — eight Indonesians and one Vietnamese, according to the coast guard — were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The 58-year-old Korean captain was found unresponsive in the cabin on 6 October and pronounced dead; an Indonesian crew member aged 27 remains missing. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Jeju coast guard said surviving crew told investigators the boat had more catch aboard than usual and was hit by a swell on the port side, tilting sharply to starboard. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The coast guard said wind was blowing at 12–14 metres per second with waves 2.5 metres high and a wind-wave advisory in effect, and that a 29-tonne boat has no obligation to take shelter under such an advisory. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The departure report in the V-PASS system listed 8 people, while 11 were actually aboard; the boat's capacity is 12, and the coast guard is investigating the discrepancy. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The coast guard said the exact cause of the capsize still requires further investigation. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The vessel was a 29-tonne offshore gillnet boat registered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, that capsized in waters off Jeju. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Eleven people were aboard and nine were rescued by a nearby fishing boat. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The Korean captain was found dead and one Indonesian crew member remains missing. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The coast guard said the precise cause of the capsize remains under investigation. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The exact cause of the capsize The Jeju coast guard said the cause would only be established through further investigation, and described the overloaded-catch theory as a supposition based on crew statements.
- The time and position of the capsize Kyunghyang Shinmun reported 03:04 and a location about 65 km northwest of Chagwido, while Hankook Ilbo reported 03:10 and a location about 65 km west of Chagwido.
- Why the departure report listed 8 people when 11 were aboard The coast guard said it is investigating the discrepancy between the V-PASS filing and the actual crew; the documents do not give a reason.
- Whether the piled catch was the main cause of the capsize Officials said the load may have affected the boat's stability but that more investigation is needed.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Crew finish hauling in their nets and rest on the boat before the capsize. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Jeju coast guard says the boat capsized about 65 km northwest of Chagwido in Jeju City's Hangyeong-myeon. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the capsize occurred about 65 km west of Chagwido. [ 3 ]
- The Korean captain is found without breathing or pulse inside the cabin during an underwater search and later pronounced dead. [ 1 ]
- Coast guard divers find the captain, who is taken to hospital but dies; the same outlet gives this as the time of the discovery. [ 3 ]
- The Jeju coast guard holds a briefing and says search continues for the missing Indonesian crew member with 8 vessels and 5 aircraft over an area roughly 37 km across. [ 1 , 3 ]