(LEAD) S. Korean cargo ship missing after distress call: ministry

(ATTN: UPDATES with details)

SEOUL, April 1 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean cargo ship went missing in the South Atlantic earlier this week after making a distress call, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.

The Stella Daisy was sailing in waters near Uruguay after departing Brazil on March 26, it said.

Eight South Korean and 16 Filipino sailors were aboard the vessel. A search operation is underway.

Their company said it received a KakaoTalk message from one of the sailors at around 11:20 p.m. Friday (Seoul time) that the ship was submerged. The contact was then lost.

The ministry immediately requested cooperation from the local authorities for the search.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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