ID :
22141
Wed, 10/01/2008 - 17:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/22141
The shortlink copeid
Coast Guard officers beaten, held captive by Chinese crew
MOKPO, South Korea, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- Four South Korean Coast Guard officers had been captured and assaulted by Chinese fisherman just two days before another one was killed during a boarding operation, authorities here said Tuesday.
The Mokpo Coast Guard confirmed that the four officers were captured and severely
beaten by the crew of a Chinese boat that was suspected of fishing in South
Korea's exclusive economic (EEZ) zone without a permit.
The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon, when a speedboat carrying 10
officers and a translator left the 3,000-ton cutter to check a suspicious fishing
vessel near Gageo Island in the Yellow Sea, it said.
Four of the 10 officers, including assistant inspector Lee Young-chul, had
boarded the vessel and started inspecting papers and the hold when the crew
disregarded orders and sailed away from the cutter. Soon the boat was joined by a
large fish cargo ship and 50 other Chinese boats in the vicinity.
About 20 crewmembers from the cargo ship quickly took control of the fishing
vessel being inspected, beating the officers who remained in captivity until the
Koreans returned the captain of the Chinese fishing boat, who had been taken to
the Coast Guard cutter via speedboat.
After the "hostage exchange" took place, the Chinese boats fled the scene, and
the two Korean officers who were seriously hurt were evacuated and subsequently
hospitalized at a Mokpo hospital.
Officers hinted that it was because of the first incident that the regional Coast
Guard started to clamp down harder on illegal fishing, leading to the
high-profile death of Inspector Park Kyong-jo during a boarding attempt on
Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Chinese fishermen responsible for Park's death have all been
arrested, with China's top envoy expressing regret over the incident on Monday.
Seoul said that since the bilateral fisheries treaty took effect in 2001, about
3,000 Chinese boats have been captured fishing in South Korea's EEZ.
It added that in the last six years, 27 Coast Guard officers have been hurt and
one killed in the line of duty while trying to stop illegal fishing.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
The Mokpo Coast Guard confirmed that the four officers were captured and severely
beaten by the crew of a Chinese boat that was suspected of fishing in South
Korea's exclusive economic (EEZ) zone without a permit.
The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon, when a speedboat carrying 10
officers and a translator left the 3,000-ton cutter to check a suspicious fishing
vessel near Gageo Island in the Yellow Sea, it said.
Four of the 10 officers, including assistant inspector Lee Young-chul, had
boarded the vessel and started inspecting papers and the hold when the crew
disregarded orders and sailed away from the cutter. Soon the boat was joined by a
large fish cargo ship and 50 other Chinese boats in the vicinity.
About 20 crewmembers from the cargo ship quickly took control of the fishing
vessel being inspected, beating the officers who remained in captivity until the
Koreans returned the captain of the Chinese fishing boat, who had been taken to
the Coast Guard cutter via speedboat.
After the "hostage exchange" took place, the Chinese boats fled the scene, and
the two Korean officers who were seriously hurt were evacuated and subsequently
hospitalized at a Mokpo hospital.
Officers hinted that it was because of the first incident that the regional Coast
Guard started to clamp down harder on illegal fishing, leading to the
high-profile death of Inspector Park Kyong-jo during a boarding attempt on
Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Chinese fishermen responsible for Park's death have all been
arrested, with China's top envoy expressing regret over the incident on Monday.
Seoul said that since the bilateral fisheries treaty took effect in 2001, about
3,000 Chinese boats have been captured fishing in South Korea's EEZ.
It added that in the last six years, 27 Coast Guard officers have been hurt and
one killed in the line of duty while trying to stop illegal fishing.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
