At least 13 dead after fishing boat capsizes in South Korea

South Korean Coast Guard officers try to rescue a capsized fishing boat which collided with a refueling vessel in the waters off Incheon, South Korea. Photo / AP

At least 13 people are dead and two are missing after a fishing boat collided with a refuelling vessel and capsized off the west coast of South Korea.

An official from the Korea Coast Guard said seven people were rescued and the two missing included the boat's captain.

He said 22 people were aboard the 9.8-tonne South Korean fishing boat that capsized after colliding with the 336-tonne refuelling vessel in waters off the port city of Incheon.

The refuelling vessel did not suffer damage.

President Moon Jae-in ordered authorities to deploy as many helicopters and other aircraft as possible to search for the missing, according to his office.

The coastguard official said 19 coastguard and naval vessels and five aircraft including helicopters were dispatched to the site.

Authorities were questioning the crew of the refuelling vessel to determine the cause of Sunday's collision.

- AAP