Seoul: An auxiliary ship associated with a North Korean merchant vessel sank in international waters located between South Korea and Japan on Thursday, leaving one crew member unaccounted for while three others were successfully rescued, according to South Korean authorities.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean Navy alerted the East Regional Coast Guard Headquarters about the incident at approximately 10:50 a.m. The auxiliary craft went down in waters situated roughly 200 kilometers off the southeastern coastal city of Pohang, as reported by Coast Guard officials.

Initially, all four crew members on the vessel were reported missing. However, three of them were rescued by the Japan Coast Guard, as confirmed by South Korean authorities. The Korea Coast Guard has now joined search-and-rescue operations to find the missing crew member, adhering to international law and humanitarian principles, officials stated.