SEOUL — South Korea’s unification ministry has reached out to North Korea, asking for assistance in locating a navy sailor who disappeared near the two nations’ shared border along the east coast, the ministry announced Sunday.
Because no active communication channel exists between the two countries, the appeal was delivered through a text message sent to journalists, according to the ministry, which oversees relations between the two Koreas. Officials said the message was intended for Pyongyang.
“On July 12, a navy seaman went missing while on a coast guard duty on the East Sea, and it seems there is a possibility of being drifted north across the Northern Limit Line,” the message stated, referencing the maritime boundary that divides the two countries along the coast.
“As our navy is currently searching for the missing person, we request for cooperation with the search and return from a humanitarian perspective,” the message continued.
North Korea’s embassy in London had not responded to a request for comment at the time of reporting.
South Korea’s current administration, led by President Lee Jae Myung, has made efforts to reduce hostilities with Pyongyang since coming to power last year. However, those repeated attempts to open dialogue have been turned away by North Korea, which formally labeled South Korea a “hostile nation” in 2024.
