China urges Korea to free 3 fishermen

BEIJING/SEOUL (Yonhap) ― China called Monday for South Korea to release three Chinese fishermen who have been arrested on charges of illegally fishing in South Korean waters and violently resisting a crackdown by the South Korean Coast Guard that caused the death of a Chinese captain.

According to the South Korean Coast Guard, dozens of Chinese fishermen resisted violently with knives and beer bottles during the crackdown in waters 144 kilometers off South Korea‘s western coast on Friday. Some Chinese fishermen were trying to strangle a South Korean officer, they said.

A South Korean Coast Guard officer fired shots from a K-5 pistol as warnings but one of them hit the Chinese captain, the Coast Guard said, adding that the shots were not specifically aimed at him. South Korean officers were also injured during the crackdown, though to what degree is not known.

During a regular press briefing, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei, however, criticized South Korea for taking “violent law-enforcement action” against the Chinese fishermen.

“China is deeply concerned about and strongly dissatisfied with the violent law-enforcement action of the South Korean Coast Guard,” Hong said.

South Korea “should release the Chinese fishing vessel and Chinese fishermen as soon as possible,” Hong said.

In Seoul, the South Korean government reaffirmed its position that it will fairly address the incident “in accordance with law and principles,” saying it occurred in the course of the Coast Guard‘s enforcement of the law.

“We hope that the incident will not (negatively) affect the bilateral relations between Seoul and Beijing,” an official at the foreign ministry said, asking not be named.

Chinese fishing boats often cross into South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea in search of abundant fish stocks, regularly leading to violence by Chinese crews during raids by the South Korean Coast Guard.

In 2011, a South Korean Coast Guard officer was killed by Chinese fishermen during a raid against illegal fishing in South Korean waters.

The Korea Coast Guard arrested 183 Chinese fishermen in 2013 over illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea.