South Korean Ship sinking
A South Korean navy ship with about 100 personnel on board is sinking off the west coast near North Korea, possibly due to a torpedo attack, reports say.
The ship was sinking near Baengnyeong island, Yonhap news agency quoted navy officials as saying.
It also said the South Korean ship had fired shots toward an unidentified ship in the North. The involvement of North Korea has not been confirmed.
A rescue operation is under way, and at least 50 sailors have been rescued.
Six naval ships and two coastguard vessels were involved in the rescue operation, Yonhap reported.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak had ordered the military to focus on rescuing the sailors, it added.
The 1,500-tonne ship began sinking about 2130 local time (1230 GMT), after an explosion, Yonhap said.