As dozens of rescuers continued to search Breakneck Ridge yesterday for a 63-year-old Queens man last seen hiking there on Sunday, police appealed for help in finding him.

Myung Geuk Choi was last seen Sunday morning by a female friend, a Korean-American woman in her 60s, who accompanied him to Cold Spring. They walked north and entered a trail to Breakneck Ridge on Route 9D.

The woman, whose identity has not been released, told police that while ascending the mountain, they came across two other men, described as Asians, one in his 40s, the other about 60.

Choi then parted ways with the woman, telling her to meet him at the Cold Spring train station about 1 p.m.

He never arrived, and the woman returned to New York City, eventually telling a mutual friend of Choi's apparent disappearance.

The friend notified Choi's daughter, who went to the 14,000-acre Hudson Highlands State Park on Sunday night.

The daughter and two friends searched the park unsuccessfully and notified police early Monday. Since then, more than 70 people have assisted in the search, including volunteers and state police in helicopters.

Choi, who is of Korean extraction, is described as 5-foot-7, 130 pounds with brown eyes and black hair that's balding on top. He was last seen wearing beige corduroy pants, a gray goose-down jacket, a beige baseball cap and black shoes and carrying a red and-gray backpack with black straps. He did not have a cell phone, police said.

At a news conference yesterday, Chief Michael Daly of the New York Park Police and Putnam County sheriff's Chief Investigator A. Gerald Schramek asked anyone who may have seen Choi or the two other men to notify them.

Park police can be reached at 845-889-4100, Ext. 310; the sheriff's office is at 845-225-4300.

"We're looking for any information the public may be able to provide," Daly said.

Schramek said that while police have not ruled out anything, they are focusing their efforts on the mountain, where they believe Choi is. Police said that from interviews with Choi's family and friends, they believe he is familiar with the area and its trails.

West Point Cadet Moo Lee, an exchange student from the South Korean army, helped police as an interpreter in the interviews.