Filipino seafarers not charged amid SK drug smuggling probe

Twenty Filipino seafarers aboard the Norwegian-flagged MV Lunita are not facing charges as South Korean authorities investigate the vessel for suspected drug smuggling.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed that the crew remains on the ship, in good health, and is cooperating with the ongoing probe without being taken into custody.

The investigation was initiated after the vessel was intercepted on suspicion of transporting cocaine.

The Philippine embassy and the DMW's Migrant Workers office in Seoul will provide legal counsel to collaborate with the shipping company's lawyers for the seafarers' defense.

While under scrutiny, the Filipino crew members are not considered suspects and are being provided legal representation by the ship owner and their manning agency.

The DMW is actively monitoring the situation and ensuring the crew's rights are protected, with the government assuring its full support and contacting the seafarers' families.