"I love you, darling” was the final text message sent by the 60-something captain of a South Korean chemical tanker to his wife, before the ship capsized in rough seas off Japan's west coast on Wednesday. He was among nine later found dead of the ship’s crew of 11, with one still missing.

The captain's wife, speaking at Keoyoung Shipping's headquarters in Busan on Thursday, said she received the love message from her husband at around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, to which she replied "I love you too.”

Despite him seeing the reply, however, she received no further response thereafter. Two additional text messages went unread, one informing him of her plans to go to a dance club and another asking if everything was alright.

She further added that her husband often talked about his commitment to remaining onboard until the safety of all other crew members could be ensured in the case of an emergency. She believes he would have acted in the same manner during the tragic accident.

According to the Japan Coast Guard, the South Korean-flagged tanker, the Keoyoung Sun vessel, was bound for Ulsan, departing from a port in Japan's Hyogo prefecture, Monday afternoon.

However, high waves and gusts of winds forced the vessel with two South Koreans, eight Indonesians and one Chinese aboard to anchor near Mutsure Island off Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi prefecture early Wednesday. They reportedly radioed for help, notifying the coast guard that the ship was "tilting," a Japan Coast Guard official said.

Ten crew members were recovered, but nine, including both Koreans, were later confirmed deceased. One Indonesian remains in a non-life-threatening condition. The Japan Coast Guard is continuing its search for the one crew member who remains missing.

According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, the tanker was transporting 980 tons of acrylic acid, but no leaks have been reported thus far.