Yeosu City Council "Welcomes Maintaining Current Maritime Boundary Line Between Jeonnam and Gyeongnam"

Constitutional Court Dismisses Gyeongnam Province's Request in Maritime Boundary Jurisdiction Dispute
Yeosu City Council Expects Strengthened Cooperation Between Local Governments for Peaceful Fishing Activities

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Yeosu City Council (Chairman Jeon Chang-gon) expressed its welcome on the 25th regarding the Constitutional Court's decision to side with Jeonnam Province, which had insisted on maintaining the current maritime boundary line between Jeonnam and Gyeongnam.

According to the City Council, the Constitutional Court dismissed Gyeongnam Province's petition, which requested a change to the maritime boundary, in the ruling on the "Jurisdictional Dispute Trial on the Maritime Boundary between Jeonnam and Gyeongnam" on the same day.

The City Council stated, "We greatly welcome the maintenance of the current maritime boundary line, which has served as the standard for fishing activities and fisheries administration," and added, "This has brought an end, at least for now, to the conflict that has lasted over five years between Jeonnam and Gyeongnam."

The City Council further said, "With the judgment on the maritime boundary line made, we hope that fishermen from Jeonnam and Gyeongnam will respect each other's boundaries and carry out fishing activities peacefully," and "Let us also strengthen inter-local government cooperative projects such as hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties."

The maritime boundary dispute between Jeonnam and Gyeongnam was triggered in 2011 when Gyeongnam fishing vessels engaged in illegal fishing in Jeonnam waters.

Although this case resulted in a guilty verdict by the Supreme Court in 2015, the conflict intensified as Gyeongnam Province filed a jurisdictional dispute trial with the Constitutional Court.

Jeonnam Province has used the national basic map issued by the National Geographic Information Institute, which reflects the maritime boundary set in 1918, as the standard for the maritime boundary.

On the other hand, Gyeongnam argued that since the Constitutional Court previously did not recognize the effect of the maritime boundary line on the national basic map, the boundary should be based on Jakdo Island in Nam-myeon, Yeosu, rather than Sejon Island in Namhae on the national basic map.

Earlier, Yeosu City Council passed a resolution in October 2019 urging the maintenance of the current maritime boundary line between Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangnam-do, and in October last year, issued a statement signed by all members urging the Constitutional Court to maintain the current maritime boundary line.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.