Two North Korean fishermen are presumed missing after a collision between a South Korean sand carrier and a North Korean fishing boat 4.9 miles Northeast of Jangjeon Port in the East Sea early Tuesday morning.

The Unification Ministry said the cause of the accident has yet to be determined, adding that the South has yet to get information from the North over the accident.

``According to the South-North agreement on maritime traffic, one is required to inform the other of an accident in its sea,'' ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun said Tuesday.

North Korean Navy boats are searching for the missing crew members, according to military sources. All nine members of the South's ship have been confirmed safe.

Regarding whether the North violated the inter-Korean accord or not, Kim took a cautious stance, stressing ``It's not very long since the accident took place, so we are waiting.''

The collision between the fishing boat and the 658-ton Dongi No.1, sand excavator with a crew of 10 including its captain, saw no reported casualties but two North Koreans are missing.

``Four North Korean crew members were aboard and two were saved by the sand carrier after the accident,'' said the spokesman. ``But the remaining two are missing.''

The barge was reportedly docked at Jangjeon Port right after the accident.

The Dongi was supposed to return to the Geoje port located in South Gyeongsang Province by 7 a.m. Tuesday via Northern Limit Line (NLL) from North's Goseong port.

Asked what caused the collision, Kim said neither the cause nor damage has yet been confirmed.

The two vessels were insured and the collision will be dealt with in accordance with international laws, the spokesman added.

Seoul officials are afraid the accident may worsen already sour relations between the two Koreas, prompted by the fatal shooting of a South Korean tourist last Month and Seoul's tougher stance toward Pyongyang.

Previously, the Hyeonseong, a 1,500-ton sand excavator, collided with a North Korean five-ton fishing boat near Yeonpyeong island in the East Sea on Jan. 15, 2007.

Four of the five North Korean fishermen aboard were missing and the boat was returned to the North the next day.

Negotiations over compensation are still underway.

korea times