(2nd LD) Chinese fishermen face arrest over Korean officer's death

(ATTN: CHANGES lead; UPDATES with more info in paras 2-5)

MOKPO, South Korea, Sept. 28 (Yonhap) -- The Coast Guard said Sunday they have verified the identities of three out of the 11 Chinese fishermen detained following the death of a South Korean officer who was assaulted and then drowned while trying to inspect the boat operating in Korean waters.

Park Kyong-jo, 48, a police inspector of the Mokpo Coast Guard, fell into the
water while attempting to board the Chinese boat whose crew was illegally fishing
in Korea's exclusive economic zone on Thursday evening. Police earlier said three
of the 11 crewmen appeared to be wielding a shovel and batons against Park as he
tried to climb across the Chinese boat's rail, according to video footage taken
and released by the Coast Guard.
Six other Korean officers were injured in the clash, the Coast Guard said. The
Chinese fishermen then fled but were captured after a 15-hour-long chase.
"Improved image of the video footage showed that two suspects grabbed Park with
their hands, trying to push him into the water and Park was struck on his head
three or four times by a shovel wielded by one fisherman," a police officer said,
adding that the coast guard are interrogating the suspects to further grasp the
details of the situation.
The Mokpo Coast Guard said arrest warrants will be sought for all 11 crew members
of the Chinese boat, some on assault charges and some on homicide charges and
obstructing official business, as well as violating the exclusive economic
waters.
Park and 16 other naval police officers set out on two 1.5-ton high-speed ships
after two unregistered fishing boats were found operating 73 km west of Gageo
Island, Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, on Korea's southwestern shores at
around 7 p.m. Thursday.
Approaching the boats, the officers tried to board for inspection. But the
Chinese fishermen prevented their access by wielding shovels and iron pipes and
throwing stones and iron balls. Park went missing amid the violence, while six
other officers aboard Park's boat sustained injuries. The Chinese boats fled the
scene.
The Coast Guard officers seized one of the Chinese boats, which had run about 100
km from the site where they were first spotted and was at one point aided by
about 30 other Chinese vessels trying to prevent its capture. The captain of the
seized 17-ton wooden boat was identified as He Xinquan, 36, from China's eastern
Liaoning Province.
The Chinese were initially uncooperative and denied using violence, but some of
them later recanted, officers said. About 17 hours after going missing, Park's
body was found with the cord used to connect his belt to his police baton coiled
around his neck, but further examination is needed to determine whether the
Chinese strangled him or if it was caused by drifting.
Officers say more and more Chinese fishing boats are infiltrating Korean waters
as harvests in Chinese waters are plummeting due to pollution and over-fishing.
Since South Korea's fisheries treaty with China took effect in 2001, about 3,000
Chinese boats have been captured illegally fishing in Korean waters.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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