SEOUL - A SOUTH Korean fishing boat capsized in high waves off the south-east coast early on Wednesday, the coast guard said. Three crew members were rescued but seven others are missing.

The coast guard dispatched eight ships, a helicopter and a team of divers for the search. But strong winds and waves up to 5m high were hampering the rescue operation, officer Kim Sun-im said.

Three people, all South Koreans, were spotted in the waters and rescued, she said. None was in critical condition. The seven missing include six South Koreans and one Indonesian citizen, Ms Kim said.

She said the 79-tonne ship capsized in the waters off Gampo, about 380km south-east of Seoul. The coast guard initially said the boat sank, but later said it had capsized and not yet gone down.

South Korea is in the middle of an early winter cold snap.

Turbulent waves are believed to have caused the ship to capsize, Ms Kim said. -- AP