Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ajosshi]

South Korea Sentences Chinese Fisherman

SEOUL�A court in South Korea gave a 30-year prison term Thursday to a Chinese fisherman for stabbing a South Korean coast guard officer to death in December. China immediately protested the ruling.

The stabbing occurred after South Korean officers boarded a Chinese boat over suspicions of illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea. The incident prompted anger in both countries and led their presidents to agree to work toward preventing more clashes.

South Korea's Incheon District Court said Thursday's sentencing was a warning against future violence.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a news conference in Beijing that China rejected the South Korean sentencing. He said China urged South Korea to properly handle the case and called on Seoul to respect the legitimate rights of Chinese fishermen.

Chinese fishing boats have been going farther afield to feed growing domestic demand for seafood. With some 300,000 fishing vessels and 8 million fishermen, the Chinese fishing industry is by far the world's largest. But catches have decreased in waters close to China's shores, forcing the fleet to venture farther.

South Korea's coast guard says it has seized hundreds of Chinese ships over the years for illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea, which is rich in blue crabs, anchovies and croaker. The ships are usually released after a fine is paid, though violence occasionally occurs.

In 2008, one South Korean coast guard officer was killed and six others injured in a clash with Chinese fishermen in South Korean waters.

-WSJ

[Captain Corea]

I'm confused as to China's argument... Are they saying that those waters are fair game, or that it's ok for its fishermen to kill K authorities?

[ajosshi]

Both.

[Captain Corea]

I thought it was understood and accepted regarding jurisdiction in those waters.

[davidng]

[fosterman]

China doesn't care about one fisherman. would be a different story if he was a Korean fisherman being put to death under Chinese law.
you would never hear the end of it,
to China it's just one person out of 1.3 billion, they are not going to worry about it.

The Korean soldiers should not have bordered his boat anyway. it cost a life of their friend and co worker.
they should of just pushed the boat back into chinese waters.
this action , and the 30 year sentence is not going to stop illegal fishing.