South Korean Navy vessels take part in a maritime exercise in the East Sea in May 2025. (Republic of Korea Navy) A South Korean Navy sailor went missing from a frigate on a patrol mission near the eastern maritime border with North Korea, the Navy said Sunday.The Navy said in a statement that a private first class sailor was reported missing from a vessel operating about 50 kilometers east of Geojin in Goseong, Gangwon Province.“The Navy is currently conducting a joint search with the Coast Guard, deploying ships and aircraft to locate the missing sailor,” it said.The Navy said it had also notified fishing boats and nearby merchant vessels of the situation and requested their assistance in the search.The sailor was last seen inside the ship in the early hours of the morning, according to local reports. He was reported missing after he failed to show up for duty later that morning.The sailor is believed to have gone missing about 20 to 30 kilometers from the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas in the East Sea.Given the location’s proximity to the border, the Navy notified North Korea of the missing sailor and the ongoing search through an international merchant marine communications channel to prevent any accidental confrontation.The Defense Ministry said Minister Ahn Gyu-back instructed the military to make every effort to locate and rescue the sailor as quickly and safely as possible after being briefed on the incident.