China lodges protest with South Korea over deaths of three fishermen

Record ID: 83356

  • Title: China lodges protest with South Korea over deaths of three fishermen
  • Date: 30th September 2016
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 30, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, GENG SHUANG, WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, GENG SHUANG, SAYING: "Chinese Foreign Ministry, embassy and consulate in South Korea made representations to South Korea and urged the Korean side to appropriately arrange the rescued fishermen and preserve the remains of those who died, preserve the fishing ship involved and preserve the scene of the fire. At the same time, (China urged South Korea) to jointly open a comprehensive and objective investigation into the incident with China as soon as possible. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, embassy and consulate in South Korea will continue to appropriately deal with the aftermath (of the incident)." BRIEFING IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 15th October 2016 10:44
  • Keywords: South Korea China fishermen coastguard illegal fishing
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00151RB1OL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Beijing said on Friday (September 30) that it has lodged a protest with Seoul over the deaths of three Chinese fishermen.
    They were killed on Thursday (September 29) in a fire that broke out on their boat when South Korean coastguard men trying to apprehend them for illegal fishing threw flash grenades into a room they were hiding in, a South Korean official said.
    "Chinese Foreign Ministry, embassy and consulate in South Korea made representations to South Korea and urged the Korean side to appropriately arrange the rescued fishermen and preserve the remains of those who died, preserve the fishing ship involved and preserve the scene of the fire. At the same time, (China urged South Korea) to jointly open a comprehensive and objective investigation into the incident with China as soon as possible. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, embassy and consulate in South Korea will continue to appropriately deal with the aftermath (of the incident)," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media at a regular briefing in Beijing.
    Disputes over illegal fishing are an irritant in relations between China and U.S. ally South Korea, even as their economic relations grow close. They also share concern about North Korea's nuclear weapon and missile programmes.
    The three men were believed to have suffocated, a coastguard official in the South Korean port city of Mokpo said, adding that the incident was being investigated.
    The fire broke out in the boat's steering room, the official, who is not authorised to speak with media and declined to be identified, told Reuters by telephone.
    South Korean authorities were questioning the 14 surviving crew and coastguard members involved in the operation, the official added.
    South Korean coastguard vessels regularly chase Chinese boats for fishing illegally and violent confrontations have occurred in the past.
    The Chinese boat, caught fishing off the southwest of the peninsula, about 70 km (43 miles) southwest of Hongdo Island, would be brought in to a South Korean port later on Friday, the coastguard official said.
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