By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

A coastguard official was found dead Friday afternoon after a crash occurred while he was inspecting a Chinese boat for illegal fishing in the Korean western sea, the national maritime police agency said.

The body of the 48-year-old coastguard service member, identified only as Park, was found Friday afternoon floating in waters near Gageo Island, two and half-hours away from Mokpo City, the southwestern port city.

Park had been missing since around 7:40 p.m. Thursday, after he stopped two Chinese fishing boats 73 kilometers off the island for fishing in Korea’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the police agency official said.

The Chinese fishermen were reported to have strongly resisted when Park and his two other colleagues stopped them, wielding metal pipes, shovels and clubs. The 50-ton Chinese fishing boats were caught at around 10:30 a.m. Friday. Eleven Chinese fishermen on board are now under investigation, the officials said.

kswho@koreatimes.co.kr