Following the death of the captain of a Chinese fishing vessel on Friday, the possibility of a diplomatic spat between Seoul and Beijing has grown. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called in the South Korean envoy in Beijing after the tragic incident and urged Seoul to punish those responsible.
The captain’s death is extremely regrettable, but this can’t be a cause for diplomatic friction ― this was an unfortunate accident that occurred inadvertently because of illegal fishing by Chinese ships.
A 66-second video released Saturday by the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) supports this argument. Scenes from the footage show Chinese fishermen threatening officers with knives and beer bottles and attempting to choke one of them. In one part of the recording, a man (who officers claim to be the dead captain) throttles an officer, before hurling him to the ground in what appears to be an attempt to throw the officer into the ocean.
During that confrontation, one of the South Korean officers fired eight shots, and one of the bullets is believed to have hit the captain. The officers must have felt seriously threatened, as four other Chinese fishing vessels surrounded the patrol boat and sent their crews aboard the ship being inspected. More than anything else, clamping down on illegal fishing in our waters is part of the KCG’s duty.
Bearing this in mind, it’s wrong for the Chinese government to unilaterally lash out at our officers, who were only enforcing our laws, while at the same time turning a blind eye to its fishermen’s illegal fishing and violent resistance. Of course, it’s necessary to confirm if there was excessive use of force by the KCG officers, but China is largely to blame for this latest tragedy, as it is for the many clashes between the KCG and Chinese vessels in recent years. Attempts to stop Chinese ships have often led to violence. In 2011, a South Korean officer was stabbed to death by a Chinese fisherman, and in 2012, a Chinese fisherman was killed by a rubber bullet fired by an officer.
The Seoul government needs to show Beijing footage of the incident and seek its understanding, so this won’t escalate into a diplomatic dispute. China needs to realize that it’s primarily responsible for its vessels’ illicit operations in South Korean waters. The Chinese government, in particular, should let its fishermen know violent resistance is a serious crime.
Given that more than 200,000 Chinese fishing boats illegally intrude into South Korean waters each year to catch fish, there should be more fundamental measures, including enhancing bilateral cooperation in raising fish.