1 dead, 2 missing as fishing boat capsizes off S. Korea's southern island

SEOUL -- A fishing boat capsized off South Korea's southern island of Jeju on Friday, leaving one sailor dead and two others missing, Yonhap news agency said, citing the coast guard.

The 33-ton vessel with five South Korean and five Vietnamese crew members on board overturned in waters around 20 km off the city of Seogwipo on the island at about 7:24 am local time (2224 GMT Thursday).

Eight crew members, including three South Koreans and five Vietnamese, were rescued by a nearby fishing boat.

Of the rescued, one in cardiac arrest was taken to a hospital but was confirmed dead at 10:07 am local time (0107 GMT).

Two others remained unaccounted for, leading the coast guard to mobilize three patrol boats, two helicopters, eight civilian fishing boats and one local government vessel for search operations.

Rescue workers had difficulty in the operations due to strong winds and high waves.