3 fishermen dead after SKorean raid on Chinese boat

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL (AA) – Three Chinese fishermen died aboard a boat that was operating illegally in South Korean waters this week, according to the local Coast Guard Friday.

The blaze started Thursday morning when the 17-strong fishing crew defied orders to comply with a Coast Guard raid amid a wider crackdown on illegal fishing -- South Korean officers hurled stun grenades into compartments where the fishermen had locked themselves in.

What began as a raid then turned into a rescue operation with 14 out of 17 crew members brought to safety.

The remaining three who passed away were found unconscious in the boat’s engine room.

Mokpo Coast Guard confirmed Friday that the vessel did not have permission to fish inside the South’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

After numerous clashes in the past, China has been forced to take the issue seriously -- appeasing South Korea by educating its fishermen on Yellow Sea restrictions.

But Chinese consular officials visited Mokpo Coast Guard to demand an investigation into Thursday’s incident, reported South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Earlier this year, the situation became particularly tense because Chinese boats were escaping to North Korean waters -- the South even teamed up with the United Nations Command to launch an unprecedented operation in the Han River estuary area.