The Vietnamese
Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on December 13 issued a diplomatic note
requesting RoK authorised agencies to help search for three Vietnamese sailors
who went missing after a RoK trawler sank off Antarctica.

The diplomatic note also asked
the agencies to ensure the safety of rescued Vietnamese residents and hold
funeral observances for one sailor who was confirmed dead.

Earlier, the RoK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officially confirmed that
11 out of 42 sailors on board the trawler No. 1 Insung, which sank in Antarctic
waters on the morning of December 13, are Vietnamese, of whom, one has been
confirmed dead, three missing and seven rescued.

On the same day, answering
reporters’ questions on protection measures for Vietnamese citizens, Foreign
Ministry Spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga said the ministry already asked RoK and
New Zealand to promptly provide reasons for the sinking, identify the dead
person and closely coordinate with the Vietnamese side in protecting citizens
and supporting people in distress.

The Overseas Labour Management Department and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids
and Social Affairs asked companies which despatched crews to direct executives
to study the case and coordinate with the Foreign Ministry and partners to
ensure the rights and interests of the Vietnamese sailors, she said.

There were a total of 42 crew members on the 614-DWT vessel, including eight RoK
people, eight Chinese, 11 Vietnamese, 11 Indonesians, three Filipinos and one
Russian.

Five of crew members were already confirmed dead and 17 others missing. The
remaining 20 people have been rescued by another RoK fishing vessel operating
nearby.

VietNamNet/VOV