A vessel from the Republic of Korea (ROK) and a fishing boat from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) collided off the Korean Peninsula's east coast early yesterday, leaving two DPRK people missing, a ROK military official said.

The accident came as ties have turned chilly in recent months between the states technically still at war and which keep more than 1 million troops near their border.

The ROK vessel was carrying sand from the DPRK when it collided with the fishing boat at around 2 am near a DPRK port, the official with the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff said.