South Korea urged China Thursday to take “strong and effective” measures against its fishing ships illegally operating near the inter-Korean sea border.
Often appearing in the crab-rich waters around the Yellow Sea border between the two Koreas, Chinese fishing vessels are a constant problem for South Korean officials.
Such an illicit act by Chinese fishermen not only threatens the livelihoods of their local counterparts, especially during the ongoing crab-fishing season, but also further raises tensions between the two Koreas. At times, the South’s Coast Guard boats accidentally cross the border while chasing Chinese ships.
“We expressed deep concern about the issue and called on (the Chinese government) to craft strong and effective measures,” a Foreign Ministry said, briefing the results of twice-a-year bilateral talks on the matter.
The latest round of consultations, represented by deputy director-generals, was held in South Korea’s southern port city of Busan.
South Korea demanded China crack down on those fishing ships heading toward the inter-Korean maritime border and warned that unregistered ships will be confiscated if caught, the spokesman said, adding China has pledged to make more efforts to address the issue.
The sides will hold the next round of talks in China in the latter half of this year. (Yonhap)
