Vietnam Embassy in RoK assists rescued Vietnamese sailors

Ta Thi Thanh Thuy, head of the Vietnamese labour management board in the Republic of Korea, presents a new passport to a sailor at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Seoul (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy and the labour management board in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on December 20 met and handed over new passports for 17 Vietnamese sailors, who were rescued in a ship accident off the RoK island of Ulleung on December 1.

The Houei Crystal ship, registered in Panama, with 18 Vietnamese crew members, sank in the border waters between the RoK, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Japan. Seventeen crewmembers were found after drifting into the RoK’s waters, rescued by the Korean Coast Guard, and brought to the Donghae port in Gangwon province on December 2. One of the sailors remains missing.

The 17 sailors are staying at a hotel near the Incheon airport while completing their procedures for returning home. Due to the accident, they lost all personal identification documents. The embassy has granted them with new passports and helped with the procedures so that they can leave for Vietnam on December 25.

At the meeting at the hotel, Ta Thi Thanh Thuy, head of the labour management board, also presented gifts to the group.

Dang Van Duy, the captain of the sunken ship, expressed his gratitude for such prompt assistance./.

VNA