Korea Coast Guard to step up crackdown on illegal foreign vessels near NLL this month

Korea Coast Guard officers crack down on a Chinese fishing vessel illegally operating in South Korean waters. [Korea Coast Guard]
Korea Coast Guard officers crack down on a Chinese fishing vessel illegally operating in South Korean waters. [Korea Coast Guard]

Chinese fishing vessels caught illegally operating in South Korean waters over the past five years have left 4.4 billion won ($3.24 million) in court-ordered deposits unpaid, newly released data shows.

According to documents submitted by the Korea Coast Guard to the office of Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, the coast guard imposed a combined 22.32 billion won in deposits on 203 Chinese vessels detained between 2022 and July this year for violating the Exclusive Economic Zone Fisheries Sovereignty Act and the Territorial Sea Act. Of those, 188 vessels paid a total of 17.92 billion won. The remaining 15 vessels failed to pay, leaving 4.4 billion won outstanding. The deposits function as a form of bail — a guarantee payment that detained foreign vessels must make to secure their prompt release.

The coast guard seized a total of 220 Chinese vessels during the same period. Of those, 203 were detained for EEZ violations: 144 vessels, or 65 percent, were cited for breaching permit conditions such as underreporting their catch; 44, or 20 percent, for operating without a license; and 15, or 7 percent, for entering restricted zones. The remaining 17 vessels, or 8 percent, violated the Territorial Sea Act, which prohibits foreign ships from engaging in activities that threaten peace, public order or safety in South Korean territorial waters. Vessels in violation of the Territorial Sea Act are not subject to the deposit requirement.

A coast guard official said vessels that fail to pay are put through criminal proceedings, after which their hulls are confiscated and sent to auction. "If a vessel does not sell at auction, we recover the amount by dismantling it and selling it as scrap metal," the official said.

The official added that the coast guard plans to intensify enforcement against illegal foreign fishing vessels across all waters south of the western maritime border, known as the Northern Limit Line, starting this month, when the autumn blue crab season begins, in line with a new response framework.

Earlier, the coast guard, along with the ministries of foreign affairs, unification, national defense, and oceans and fisheries, announced a pan-government comprehensive plan on Aug. 27 to combat illegal fishing by foreign vessels near the NLL. The plan was drawn up amid concerns that foreign vessels have been exploiting the area's proximity to the heavily militarized border, where South Korean authorities have limited access.

The government has been tightening sanctions against illegal Chinese fishing in a series of steps. An amended EEZ Fisheries Sovereignty Act that took effect in May raised the maximum fine and deposit for illegal foreign fishing vessels from 300 million won to 1.5 billion won ($1.1 million). The government also plans to share enforcement cases more actively with Chinese authorities under agreements reached through the Korea-China Joint Fisheries Committee, aiming to strengthen the deterrent effect.

President Lee has repeatedly called for a firm response to illegal Chinese fishing. During a visit to the Yeonpyeong Island Peace Observatory on June 24, he was briefed on the situation and directed officials to draw up countermeasures, saying the vessels could not simply be left alone.

At a coast guard briefing in December last year, Lee criticized the vessels' resistance to enforcement, saying, "They commit illegal acts, build iron-bar barricades and behave threateningly to avoid being caught — that is truly outrageous." He added that stronger sanctions were needed and that foreign vessels "must be made clearly aware that illegally fishing in South Korean waters will result in severe financial penalties."


arin@heraldcorp.com