Arrest of 4 Chinese fishermen resisting capture sought

The Korea Coast Guard’s Taean branch in South Chungcheong Province applied for arrest warrants Sunday for four Chinese crew members of the fishing boat Liaochangwi 55189, including the captain.

The four allegedly brandished deadly weapons and injured a South Korean maritime officer after being caught for illegal fishing.

According to Korean maritime police, the four Chinese used axes and iron pipes against officers from the Korea Coast Guard vessel Jemin 7, which was cracking down on illegal fishing around 64 miles southwest of the Gyeongryeolbiyeol Islands around 3 p.m. Thursday. Officer Park Jun-seong, 30, was injured.

After spotting the Chinese fishing boats illegally fishing in Korea’s exclusive economic zone, the Korea Coast Guard went after them. In the face of violent resistance by the Chinese fishermen, maritime officers fired with shotguns and arrested all 10 Chinese.

In the course of this skirmish, one fisherman suffered a gunshot wound in his leg and is in stable condition at Seosan Hospital in South Chungcheong Province. The two seized Chinese fishing boats were docked at the port of Shinjin in Taean County.

A Korea Coast Guard source said, “We will fine each Chinese fishing boat 30 million won (26,915 U.S. dollars) and repatriate six fishermen to China.”

doyoce@donga.com