Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday ordered swift efforts to rescue passengers of a ferry that ran aground off South Korea's southwestern coast, the presidential office said. Lee was briefed on the ferry accident during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, shortly after the Coast Guard said the ferry carrying 267 people ran aground near Jangsan Island in Sinan County, 366 kilometers south of Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, "Lee immediately instructed the relevant authorities to respond swiftly to prevent any loss of life and to release real-time updates on the rescue operations so that the public can be reassured," the office said in a press notice.