bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Reuters

South Korea’s coastguard said it fired 249 warning shots over a group of Chinese fishing boats “swarming around” one of its patrol ships in South Korean waters, prompting a call for restraint from Beijing.
Coastguard vessels regularly chase Chinese boats suspected of fishing illegally in South Korean waters, at times sparking violent confrontations, complicating a relationship that is central to efforts to try to rein in North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
South Korea wants annual US military exercises delayed until after 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics
A fleet of 44 Chinese fishing boats fortified with iron bars and steel mesh on Tuesday began to rush the patrol boat which broadcast warnings to steer clear, the coastguard said in a statement.
The patrol vessel fired 249 shots over the fishing boats until they retreated.
“The Chinese fishing boats sought to swarm around and collide with our patrol ship, ignoring the broadcast warnings,” it said.
Beijing plays down South Korea’s claims Chinese warplanes breached its air defence zone
China, which has in the past lodged diplomatic protests with South Korea over the use of force by its coastguard, expressed “serious concern” about the reports.
“We hope that South Korea appropriately handles the relevant issue and in the course of law enforcement takes no extreme actions that endanger people’s safety,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing.
Seoul’s foreign ministry said the coastguard followed domestic law in its use of weapons in a “legitimate step” against the boats which made a “mass violation of the country’s waters for illegal fishing”.
Missile row casts long shadow as South Korea tries to reboot relations with China
In September last year, three Chinese fishermen were killed in a fire on their boat when a South Korean coastguard crew trying to apprehend them for illegal fishing threw flash grenades into a room where they were hiding, according to the South Korean coastguard.
A month later, two Chinese fishing boats illegally fishing in South Korean waters crashed into and sank a coastguard vessel, the coastguard officials said.


Taipei protests after South Korea tourist arrival card lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan)’

Samsung scion aces Seoul’s tough CSAT, sparking envy among Korean-American mums

Hong Kong stocks secure weekly gain ahead of key rate meetings

Chinese shipyards shift focus to advanced vessels as South Korean rivals gain ground

South Korea

South Korea fires 249 warning shots over Chinese fishing boats, coastguard says

South Korean coastguard vessels take part in a training exercise. The coastguard said it fired 249 warning shots over a group of Chinese fishing boats “swarming around” one of its patrol ships in South Korean waters on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

News

China

Diplomacy

Action taken after 44 vessels fortified with iron bars and steel mesh ‘swarmed around’ patrol boat, statement says
