1. In response to the sinking of the fishing boat Oryong 501, the “overseas Korean protection headquarters” held an interagency meeting on December 4 and decided to send to the accident site two maritime patrol aircraft of the Republic of Korea Navy and a 5,000-ton, one-helicopter-loaded patrol vessel of the Korea Coast Guard under the Ministry of Public Safety and Security. The aircraft and the ship will conduct search and rescue operations for missing crew members of the sunken Oryong 501.

* The interagency meeting was attended by the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and other relevant officials of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of National Defense.

2. In the meeting, the officials reviewed the progress in the search and rescue operations to date. In addition, they discussed ways to help the families of the crew members and the survivors, and to support the recovery of the dead. 


                                               Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
                                               Ministry of Public Safety and Security 
                                               Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries 
                                               Ministry of National Defense

* unofficial translation