Chinese Group Fleeing After Illegal Fishing Near Yeonpyeongdo... Total Fines Amount to 300 Million KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] A group involved in illegal fishing off Yeonpyeongdo in the northern West Sea was sentenced to heavy fines.

On the 18th, Judge Lee Yeon-jin of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 2 sentenced Chinese captain A (47) to a fine of 170 million won for violating the Act on the Exercise of Sovereign Rights Regarding Foreign Fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone. Chinese chief engineer B (56) was also fined 130 million won.

The two were indicted for illegal fishing by crossing 6 km beyond the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the northern West Sea on a 60-ton wooden vessel off Yeonpyeongdo, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, last April.

When the Coast Guard launched a capture operation, they locked the wheelhouse door and fled toward the NLL North Korean waters. The Coast Guard special forces boarded the Chinese fishing vessel, forcibly opened the wheelhouse door, and arrested them within 8 minutes. At that time, 500 kg of catch including flatfish and sea snails caught through illegal fishing were also seized.

Judge Lee stated the sentencing reason, saying, "Illegal fishing by Chinese vessels is causing severe depletion of fishery resources, and the crackdown requires a large amount of manpower and equipment, resulting in enormous national damage, so strict punishment is necessary," adding, "The scale of the defendants' crimes is not small."

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