One dead after South Korean crackdown on suspected illegal fishing

South Korean coast guard authorities said Saturday, May 9, they had seized two Chinese fishing vessels near the border island of Baengnyeong on suspicion of illegal fishing in South Korean territorial waters, while one Chinese crew member died after suffering cardiac arrest during the operation.

According to Yonhap News, citing the Korea Coast Guard (KCG), the boats crossed the Northern Limit Line — the de facto maritime border between North and South Korea — and entered approximately 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) into South Korean waters on Friday evening.

The vessels were intercepted about 14.8 kilometres (9.1 miles) northwest of Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, the Coast Guard said.

During the enforcement operation, a Chinese crew member in his 40s suffered cardiac arrest. Coast Guard officers administered CPR while transporting him to a nearby hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

Fellow crew members told authorities that the man had consumed a large amount of alcohol before collapsing, Yonhap reported.

South Korean authorities said Chinese consular officials had been notified of the death and that an investigation is ongoing into the remaining crew members, including the circumstances surrounding the operation and the alleged illegal fishing.

By Tamilla Hasanova