South Korea Seizes Chinese Boats; One Sailor Dies at Sea

(MENAFN) According to reports, South Korean coast guard authorities have seized two Chinese fishing vessels near Baengnyeong Island after they were suspected of illegally operating inside South Korean territorial waters.

Local media, reported that the boats crossed the Northern Limit Line — the de facto maritime boundary between North and South Korea — and entered roughly 3 kilometers into South Korean waters on Friday evening, citing the Korea Coast Guard.

Officials said the vessels were later intercepted about 14.8 kilometers northwest of Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea.

During the enforcement operation, a Chinese crew member in his 40s suffered cardiac arrest. Coast Guard officers reportedly administered CPR while transporting him to a hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

Crew members told authorities that the man had reportedly consumed a significant amount of alcohol prior to collapsing, according to the same reports.

South Korean authorities stated that Chinese consular officials were informed of the incident, and investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the suspected illegal fishing activity and the crew involved.

MENAFN09052026000045017640ID1111089656