A ship collision between a fishing boat of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and a South Korean sand excavator early Tuesday appeared to be an accident, said South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
Tuesday's collision, leaving at least two DPRK sailors missing, appeared to be a simple accident, but it is expected to worsen the strained ties between the Pyongyang and Seoul, Yonhap said.
The collision took place early Tuesday on waters east off the DPRK's eastern port city of Jangjun, Yonhap said.
Because the accident took place in DPRK waters, it is still unknown what happened or what is going on, Yonhap said.