Salvage work for a stern of a sunken South Korean naval worship will begin Thursday morning, raising hopes that bodies of missing sailors will be recovered soon, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday.

The 1,200-ton corvette with 104 crew members onboard sank late last month into waters near the tense maritime border after an unexplained explosion, leaving the authorities scrambling for days to determine what caused the disaster.

Fifty-eight crew members were rescued alive from the sinking ship, while two were found dead and other 44 remain unaccounted for. Missing sailors are believed to be trapped inside the rear part of the vessel.