Bodies of two men wash ashore on west coast beach

The bodies of two men were found at a beach in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, the Boryeong Coast Guard said Tuesday.

The two men, both identified to be 49-year-old residents of Boryeong, were found dead at around 10:57 p.m. Monday at Doksan Beach in the small coastal city.

Officials suspect that they died due to an accident that occurred while they were doing "haerujil," or traditional barehanded fishing. Haerujil refers to shining a light at nighttime and catching the fish that are attracted to the light, usually in shallow waters or mudflats.

One of the victims was found wearing a headlamp, and testimonies indicated that haeruji occurred frequently in the area, officials noted. The Coast Guard are conducting further investigation to determine exactly what happened.