Korea Coast Guard vessels have, for the first time, fired machine guns at Chinese boats illegally fishing in South Korean waters, an official said yesterday.
There were no casualties reported from the incident on Tuesday, which was the first of its kind since the coast guard announced last month that it would pursue a “more aggressive” firearms policy against Chinese trawlers.
Disputes over illegal fishing have dogged relations between South Korea and China for years, and there have been numerous clashes between the coast guard and Chinese crew members.
Senior coast guard official Kim Jung-shik said the order to fire came during a standoff with about 30 Chinese fishing boats illegally operating near South Korea’s Yellow Sea border with North Korea.
“They tried to ram our ships although we repeatedly warned them,” Kim told Yonhap News Agency.
“I thought our officers would be in danger if I allowed any more resistance, so we ended up using the crew service weapon,” he was quoted as saying.
Initial machine gun bursts were fired into the air, but the crew were later ordered to fire at the bows of the Chinese boats that were sailing directly at the coast guard vessels.
Two Chinese trawlers were seized in the clash.
Seoul has been asking Beijing to take a tougher stand on its vessels that have entered the South’s waters in increasing numbers to satisfy growing demand at home for fresh seafood.
Small wooden Chinese ships were once tolerated in an area where the top priority has always been guarding against potential incursions from North Korea.
However, in recent years, the small boats have given way to larger steel trawlers that engage in bottom trawling — dragging a large weighted net across the seabed that sweeps up everything in its path.
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