Chinese fishing boats fleeing to NK waters

By Rachel Lee

Chinese fishing boats that have been working illegally in South Korean waters near the inter-Korean sea border are fleeing to the North after the South Korean military began a crackdown last week, according to military sources, Sunday.

A military official said that several Chinese vessels, which had been illegally fishing around the estuary of the Han River Thursday, have fled over the border to North Korean waters. The South Korean military cannot enter the North’s territory in accordance with the armistice agreement, signed after the 1950-53 Korean War.

“Around 10 ships now remain in South Korean waters despite repeated warnings from us,” the official said.

There were more than 20 boats in the area when the South Korean military began operations, Friday, in cooperation with the United Nations Command (UNC) to stop illegal Chinese fishing in the crab-rich military buffer zone.

The move has raised concerns over a possible accidental clash between the two Koreas as it may cause resistance from Pyongyang. The military tensions remain high in the area, which is near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border in the West Sea.

For any possible contingencies, the military kept emergency helicopters and navy vessels on standby.

There has been no response from Pyongyang yet.

The military said it will continue the operation until all Chinese fishing boats withdraw, but it has not yet decided whether to extend the operation for the third consecutive day on Sunday, because the Chinese boats are staying near North Korean shores. It is almost impossible to carry out illegal fishing in the area.

“We will decide after taking into consideration local weather conditions and movements of Chinese boats in neutral waters around the estuary of the Han River,” the official said.

China has expressed its will to stop illegal fishing and pledged its cooperation with South Korea and other countries where such vessels operate.

The Chinese government said it has taken a series of measures for this matter.

“China attaches great value on educating fishermen,” said China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei, adding that the country has demanded they follow international treaties on fishing.

It also asked the South Korean government to assure the safety of the fishermen while exercising their duties.

This was the first time that Seoul and the U.S.-led UNC have taken joint action to drive foreign vessels out of the estuary where the Han River meets the West Sea, since the demilitarized state of the area was acknowledged in the armistice agreement. The joint military police team is comprised of the South Korean Navy, the Marine Corps and coast guard officers as well as UNC representatives and translators with four rigid-inflatable boats.

Illegal Chinese fishing has become a growing diplomatic problem between Seoul and Beijing over the past few years. Until 2014, only two to three cases were reported a year, but the number jumped to 120 in 2015, and up to 520 as of this May, according to the Ministry of National Defense.