By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

A Chinese fishing boat was allegedly shelled by the North Korean Coastguard over the weekend, leaving its 44-year-old skipper seriously injured, the South Korea Coastguard said Monday.

The vessel came under fire at around 9:40 a.m., Saturday. The skipper, identified only as Kung, collapsed following the shooting and is currently hospitalized at Inha University in Incheon.

The accident came only a day after a bloody clash between South Korean coastguards and illegal Chinese fishermen which claimed the life of one Korean.

It is still unknown whether the Chinese boat was operating in S. Korea's exclusively economic zone.

``It's still unknown whether the boat was attacked in South Korean or North Korean waters,'' said a defense military official. ``North Korean coastguards often fire at Chinese boats trespassing in North Korean waters.''

Lee Chang-joo, an official of the South Korea Coastguard, said, ``It's common in recent months to see Chinese fishing boats come within South Korea's EEZ to catch more fish as the area is considered one of the most fish-rich ones.''

According to the Coastguard, 159 Chinese ships have been seized for operating illegally in Korean waters so far this year. In 2007, 494 illegal operations were reported, an 18 percent drop from a record high of 584 in 2005.

pss@koreatimes.co.kr