South Korea authorities on Saturday seized two Chinese fishing boats near the border island of Baengnyeong Island on suspicion of illegally operating in South Korean waters, while separately continuing an investigation into a fire aboard a South Korean-operated cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Korea Coast Guard, the two Chinese fishing boats crossed the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime boundary between South and North Korea, and entered nearly three kilometres into South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea on Friday evening. The vessels were intercepted about 14.8 kilometres northwest of Baengnyeong Island.
During the enforcement operation, one Chinese sailor in his 40s suffered cardiac arrest. Coast Guard officials administered CPR while transporting him to a nearby hospital, but he was later pronounced dead. Crew members reportedly told authorities the sailor had consumed a large amount of alcohol before the incident.
South Korean authorities said Chinese consular officials had been informed about the death and investigations were underway into the circumstances surrounding the illegal fishing activity.
The incident comes amid Seoul's broader push to strengthen enforcement against unauthorised foreign fishing operations in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Last month, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced tougher penalties for illegal fishing vessels, raising the maximum fine for unlicensed operations in South Korean waters from 300 million won to 1.5 billion won, or roughly 1 million US dollars.
President Lee Jae Myung has instructed maritime authorities to take strict action against illegal fishing by Chinese vessels in the Yellow Sea.
Meanwhile, South Korean officials are continuing an investigation into a fire aboard the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo vessel operated by shipping company HMM, after the ship arrived at Drydocks World Dubai for inspection.
The vessel caught fire earlier this week while stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, amid heightened tensions in the region following the launch of the United States-led "Project Freedom" initiative aimed at assisting commercial vessels navigating the waterway.
A seven-member South Korean investigation team, including officials from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency, is reviewing voyage data recorder information, CCTV footage and crew testimony to determine the cause of the incident.
Twenty-five sailors, including six South Koreans, disembarked from the vessel after questioning and were moved to accommodation facilities in Dubai.
The fire has prompted speculation over whether it resulted from an external attack linked to regional tensions or from an onboard technical malfunction, though officials have not confirmed the cause.
Separately, South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back is scheduled to visit the United States next week for talks with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The discussions are expected to focus on a range of bilateral defence issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control of South Korean forces from the United States and Seoul's plans to develop nuclear-powered submarines with American support.
(With inputs from IANS)
