By Kang Hyun-kyung
Fresh allegations of an over-assertive China erupted Tuesday, the day after a South Korean coastguard was killed following the boarding of a Chinese boat fishing illegally near the maritime border with North Korea in the West Sea.
Illegal Chinese fishing remains a headache for South Korea as it has led to diplomatic spats with China, its largest trade partner.
The tragedy is feared to sour the relations between Seoul and Beijing as it comes at a time when the two nations are set to commemorate the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations next year.
Politicians and citizens here assailed China for its sitting back over the illegal fishing case that took the life of the coastguard.
On Tuesday, a bipartisan call demanding China offer official apology over the tragedy was made, though Beijing had expressed regret over the matter.
Rep. Hwang Young-cheul of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) criticized China for its silence over the victim and their families.
Hwang said the Chinese government tried to downplay the case by characterizing the coastguards’ measure over the illegal fishing boat as an overreaction.
The ruling party lawmaker urged China to send a delegation to South Korea to deliver an official apology to the victim’s family in person.
Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, also of the GNP, regretted that China has made no official apology over the death of the coastguard to his bereaved family.
The main opposition party joined the criticism.
Rep. Kim Jin-pyo of the Democratic Party (DP) urged the Chinese government to take measures calling for the prevention of illegal fishing. The DP floor leader also called on Beijing to raise awareness among Chinese fishermen not to cross the maritime border for illegal fishing.
The Chinese captain’s killing of the South Korean coastguard also stirred up anger among bloggers.
Internet chat room sites and forums were full of messages posted by angry bloggers who accused China of being over-assertive on the illegal fishing case and the killing of the coastguard.
During a meeting with officials of the Korean Embassy in Beijing, three Chinese officials from the ministry expressed their condolences to the bereaved family of the late Lee Cheong-ho who was stabbed to death by the captain.
China, however, has yet to offer any official apology.
Since 2006, approximately 2,600 Chinese boats have been caught fishing illegally in the West Sea. According to the Coast Guard, illegal Chinese fishing boats have gradually increased over the years.
The growing number is the combined result of declining fishery stocks in seas off China and an increase of fish consumption there.
Fishery resources began to decline in the 1970s and a sharper decline was reported in the mid-1980s. After bottom trawlers were widely used in the 1990s, the declining of fishery resources accelerated and many species became endangered.
Pollution in Chinese coastal regions due to industrialization also played a role in the decline of fish numbers.
Under the South Korea-China fishery pact that went into effect from 2001, only a limited number of Chinese boats are allowed to fish in the West Sea.
Chinese fishermen have to obtain a permit, but many of them engage in illegal fishing.
Meanwhile, the short distance between the two nations in the West Sea made it difficult for the government to react to illegal fishing.
The distance between South Korea and China in the West Sea is 280 nautical miles. The relatively short distance led to the overlapping of the two countries’ claims of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Governments claim their own sovereign rights and resource control over an EEZ up to 200 nautical miles of their coastlines.
The United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea calls for establishing joint resources management areas and provides guidelines for doing so even where conflicting territorial claims are unresolved.
Under the South Korea-China fishery pact, the two sides agreed to establish such areas.
The East China Sea and the South China Sea are the two other maritime areas where countries bordering semi-enclosed seas have disputed EEZs. Illegal fishing frequently occurs in these areas, leading to diplomatic rows among the nations involved.