Hot! Korean Coast Guard shot dead 4 Chinese sailors and arrested 2 fishing boats for illegal fishing today.
The South Korean Coast Guard on Monday detained two Chinese fishing boats involved in illegal fishing in South Korea's exclusive economic zone on December 28.
2 Chinese fishing boats and 15 fishermen were arrested, after nearly 30 minutes of fierce resistance. Four sailors were shot dead by the Korean Coast Guard right on the ship because they used homemade guns to resist.
The coast guard on Thursday night successfully chased two working vessels while using fishing nets to conceal the vessels' names in South Korea's exclusive economic zone, 100 kilometers southwest of Socheongdo, one of the three westernmost islands bordering the Korean coast near Incheon. while 15 Chinese fishing boats were expelled yesterday afternoon, when there were signs of violating Korean territorial waters.
15 sailors and fishermen, including two captains aged 55 and 48, are being investigated for illegal fishing. The 4 sailors who were shot dead are being contacted by Korean authorities with China to return their bodies. The remaining 15 people who are still alive are still being arrested to investigate the theft of seafood and daring to violate the country's prohibited territorial waters.
The fishermen were accused of catching 54 cans of fish without permission from South Korean authorities, the marine management agency announced at a press conference on Friday morning.
The Chinese ships attempted to escape capture, following a zigzag path for about 11 kilometers while being chased by a patrol boat of the Coast Guard's West Sea Special Security Unit.
The sailors and fishermen were restrained with guns and tear gas, after four Chinese people on the ship were shot dead. The four deaths were a scare that caused the remaining Chinese fishermen to throw up their hands and surrender.
Korean Naval Operations Commander Yang Yong-mo said at a press conference Friday morning.
These fishermen were extremely reckless when they dared to violate Korean territory and opened fire on the Korean Coast Guard when there was an order to inspect the ship. We will handle these cases seriously to serve as a deterrent. They may be detained or handed over to the Chinese side and asked to imprison them.
We will apply the heaviest economic punishment to these reckless Chinese people, Mr. Yang Yong-mo emphasized.
The theft of fish from Chinese fishermen and the pursuit and arrest of Chinese fishing vessels by the Korean Coast Guard will increase tension in relations between the two countries. Conflict between the two countries may increase, as 4 Chinese people were killed.
It is known that China is a country whose fishing vessels continuously steal seafood from neighboring countries in the East Sea and there have been many conflicts. Many Chinese fishing vessels and fishermen have been arrested by countries such as the Philippines, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, and Japan.
