South Korea vows armed crackdown against Chinese fishing boats after sinking of coast guard ship
A patrol boat sank last week during an operation against a group of Chinese vessels fishing illegally off the Korean peninsula’s west coast
South Korea said on Tuesday it would use greater force, including firearms, against Chinese boats fishing illegally in its waters and summoned China’s ambassador to protest against a clash between a Chinese vessel and a coast guard boat.
The sinking happened Friday when coast guard officers were trying to stop about 40 Chinese fishing boats from suspected illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea off South Korea’s west coast. No casualties were reported, according to the coast guard.
One coast guard officer was on the South Korean vessel rammed by two Chinese boats before he jumped into the water and was rescued by his colleagues. Eight other coast guard officers had boarded a Chinese boat for an inspection, the coast guard said in a statement.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Chinese ambassador, Qiu Guohong, and complained about the sinking. On Sunday, the ministry summoned the Chinese consul general, according to ministry officials.