The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) allowed a South Korean vessel to enter the former's waters off its east coast to rescue the missing crew of a South Korean cargo ship that sank there early Thursday, South Korean Yonhap News Agency quoted Unification Ministry and maritime policeas reporting.

Earlier Thursday, a South Korean cargo ship sank in waters 160 miles northeast of Jeojin in the South Korean Gangwon Province, four sailors were rescued by a Russian ship passing by, but the rest 14 were missing. Jeojin located some 250 kilometers northeastto Seoul.

The 2,826-ton ship, carrying iron frames, was heading to Qingdao, China, after departing Vladivostok, Russia, when it went down in high waves. Yonhap said the cargo ship was overloaded with more than 4,000 tons of freight.

South Korea's maritime police dispatched a 5,000-ton patrol vessel to the scene of the accident, marking the country's first rescue operation in DPRK-controlled waters, said Yonhap.

Earlier, South Korea asked for DPRK's permission to enter the waters for the search-and-rescue operation through contact in the border village of Panmunjom, which sits across the sealed inter-Korean border.

The DPRK gave permission to South Korea immediately after the latter provided information on the sunken ship.

The South Korean rescuing vessel is expected to reach the scenelater Thursday afternoon. Separately, an operation was underway incooperation with Russian and Japanese maritime search teams to find the 14 missing sailors.

Source: Xinhua