A South Korean official who went missing near the de facto inter-Korean border in western waters is presumed to have been shot dead by North Korean soldiers.

According to government sources on Wednesday, South Korean authorities presume North Korean officials shot the man to death in accordance with the "shoot-to-kill orders" imposed in the border area to prevent the outbreak of COVID-19.   

The body was reportedly retrieved and cremated by the North.

Seoul's Defense Ministry said earlier in the day that it was alerted by the Coast Guard around noon Monday that the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry official disappeared from the patrol ship in the Yellow Sea near Soyeonpyeong Island. 

The ministry said it obtained information suggesting that the official was discovered in North Korean waters the next day.

The South Korean military said it will conduct a probe to determine if the official was swept into North Korean waters by accident or attempted to defect to the North, while seeking to confirm related information with North Korean authorities.