South Korea asked North Korea for help in a roundabout way

South Korea has asked North Korea to help find a sailor who disappeared near the common border near the east coast. It is reported by the Polish radio station RMF24 with reference to Reuters.

According to the agency, the Ministry of Unification of South Korea sent a request for assistance to journalists by SMS, since between South Korea and There is no active communication channel in the north.

"On July 12, a Navy sailor went missing while serving in the Coast Guard in The Eastern Sea. There is a possibility that he was carried away to the north, abroad. While the South Korean Navy is actively searching for the missing sailor, we call on North Korea to cooperate in a humanitarian spirit in the search and return of this person," the statement said.

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-bak ordered the relevant units to mobilize all resources to search for the sailor.

As Reuters notes, the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is trying to reduce tensions with Pyongyang. Since taking office in June 2025, Lee has focused on dialogue and confidence-building activities.

As reported by EADaily, the South Korean authorities announced their readiness to accept all North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukraine if they express a desire to move to South Korea. This was reported by the News1 portal.

According to him, this decision is based on the constitutional status of all Koreans as citizens of the Republic of Korea.