One S. Korean sailor missing in Somalia

Yonhap
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
By Kim Eun-jung

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SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- One Navy petty officer dispatched to a South Korean contingency in Somalia went missing during an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, prompting a search operation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The 22-year-old officer, identified only by his surname Ha, disappeared early Tuesday while a South Korean destroyer was escorting three ships to Port of Mukalla, Yemen, the JCS said.

Helicopters and ships have been dispatched to nearby waters, while sailors are searching compartments of the 4,500-ton ship to find him, it said.

"It is premature to say what has caused his disappearance as investigators are currently looking into possible causes," JCS spokesman Eom Hyo-sik said.

The 300-member Cheonghae unit has been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden since early 2009 as part of global efforts to tackle piracy in the region and protect South Korean vessels off the Somali coast.

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