Chinese Fishing Boat Sinks Near Yeonpyeong Island

South Korea's Coast Guard and Navy launched a joint search on 09 Sep 2026 after a vessel believed to be a Chinese fishing boat sank in waters near Yeonpyeong Island in Ongjin County, Incheon. No survivors or bodies have been found so far. The Korea Coast Guard Station Incheon received a report from the Navy's Second Fleet at around 6:15 a.m. that a vessel was sinking approximately 6.4 kilometers east of Yeonpyeong Island. Authorities dispatched two patrol vessels and four naval ships to the site and requested assistance from nearby ships through the navigational telex system and the regional Gyeongin Coastal Vessel Traffic Service. Chinese authorities were also notified of the incident. The vessel, identified as a wooden fishing boat measuring 15 meters long and 3 meters wide, is mostly submerged, with only part of the hull visible above the surface. Search teams used thermal imaging cameras and other equipment to scan the vessel and surrounding waters but have not located any survivors or bodies. No marine pollution has been detected as a result of the sinking. A Coast Guard official said the search area was widened at 11:30 a.m. and that authorities also plan to assess whether the sunken vessel could drift during high tide. The search operation remains ongoing.