Three crew members were rescued by a nearby commercial vessel after the accident late Saturday in waters near Daebichi island in the sea county of Sinan, officials said.

The Interior Ministry confirmed that seven of the missing were South Korean nationals and the two others were foreigners.

More than 30 coast guard vessels and at least eight coast guard and military aircraft have participated in the rescue operation, the ministry said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged officials to mobilize all available resources to widen the search and also to provide support to the families of the missing fishermen, his office said in a statement. (ILKHA)