Yonhap is belatedly reporting that just two days before Sgt. Park Gyeong-jo was killed by Chinese fishing cretins off the coast of Mokpo, four of his shipmates were taken hostage and beaten for an hour when they boarded a Chinese fishing boat suspected of being unlicensed.
As soon as the men began their search, a Chinese fish carrier pulled up along the boarded vessel; 20 Chinese fishermen boarded and took the men hostage, beating them for about an hour with metal pipes and clubs. They were released only when the Coast Guard agreed to release the captain of the Chinese fishing vessel, who they had taken “captive” in case an emergency.
Two of the Koreans were seriously injured with broken bones in the skull and arm, and were transported to a hospital in Mokpo, where they are now undergoing treatment.
Marmot’s Note: OK, it had better be assault rifles and shotguns from now on.
UPDATE: The Chosun Ilbo has more. After the “prisoner exchange,” the Chinese fishing boat leisurely went off on its way and disappeared.
Some are saying that the Coast Guard, by attempting a show of strength (if you can call it that) to restore its honor after the disgraceful incident, may have gotten Sgt. Park killed on Sept 25.
Others, meanwhile, are blaming the Coast Guard for covering up this earlier incident, even ordering the hospitalized officers to keep their mouths shut.
A Coast Guard official said that in order to rescue their captured comrades, they endured even a “humiliating” prisoner swap, and asked that people learn of the difficulties faced by Coast Guard officers working hard to protect Korea’s maritime sovereignty.
He also stressed the urgent need to formulate tough policies against Chinese fishing boats “that grow more brutal by the day.”
Ready for this, children? — According to material submitted to a GNP lawmaker by the Coast Guard today, 27 Coast Guard officers have been injured or killed over the last six years while cracking down on Chinese fishing boats, yet not once has Seoul made an official protest to China.
In another Yonhap piece, Korean officials explain that because the Chinese, coming from afar as they do, could watch their whole catch go up in smoke and, on top of that, pay a huge fine, violent resistance has become a necessity for Chinese crews. Despite this, Coast Guard ships are under very restrictive rules concerning the firing of their cannons, and the officers who have to engage in the hand-to-hand combat aboard Chinese boats are armed with just gas guns and stun guns. Moreover, some are strongly pointing out that the Coast Guard, fearing the diplomatic repercussions of a major clash, aren’t even using these properly, and inviting disaster upon themselves.
UPDATE 2: The Chinese ambassador has apologized — or at least expressed “deep regret” over the death of Sgt. Park:
Chinese Ambassador to Korea Ning Fukui on Monday expressed “deep regret” on behalf of the Chinese government over a clash between Korean coast guards and Chinese fishermen illegally fishing in Korean waters that killed one coast guard.
The Ministry said Ning visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and said the Chinese government is paying special attention to this case and is running an investigation on its own, and will reinforce training to eradicate illegal fishing.
Ning reportedly explained that a visit by the consul in the Chinese Consulate in Gwangju to the mortuary of the deceased coast guard on Sunday came on behalf of the Chinese government.
This was after the Korean government had summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest the killing and demand the Chinese government take steps to root out illegal fishing in Korean waters. To which I say, yes, the Chinese need to police their fishermen better, and good on the government for giving the Chinese an earful, but enforcing Korea’s waters is the duty of the ROK Navy and Coast Guard.
UPDATE 3: Korea Beat does the math:
Mad cow disease-caused deaths = 0
Mad cow disease protestors = Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands
Chinese fisherman-caused deaths = 1, plus hostage-taking and other incidents of assault
Korean kids who ate poison cookies from China = Unknown but non-zero
Koreans protesting China = Zero
Wrap your heads around that one, dear reader.
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Koreans,……….
No Couth
No ( fill in the blank )
No Balls
The conclusion of the post and #1 is simplistic and worrying because making ourselves feel better by chest thumping will not do anything to solve the deeper problem.
Of higher importance is the utter lack of diplomatic leadership shown by any of the North East Asian countries. It should be alarming to all three countries (sorry DPRK) that the Chinese government does not denounce the way the Korean coast guard was treated. If the three cannot even agree that their pathetic coast guards should patrol unmolested, then anarchy will eventually ensue on the waters and the seas will begin to look like the Gulf of Aden.
Instead of simply calling for balls and shotguns (I readily admit those are needed, too), I wish these countries would get together and talk meaningfully every once and a while about real issues. (not that dokdo, for example, is not a real issue…)
They took the Chinese ship captain “in case of emergency”? Isn’t that called kidnapping? And wouldn’t that give the Chinese a reason to take captive four members of the Korean coast guard, “in case of emergency”?
Anyway, it does not justify the beating of the Koreans, but I also think people should remember that we are getting only one side of the story.
It sounds Korea’s Coast Guard needs to learn to pick its fights a little better since they are getting their asses handed to them by a bunch of Chinese fishermen.
Also, the night-time boarding of the Chinese fishing boat in rough seas was a diaster waiting to happen. I cannot understand why the Korean commander would have given that order. It seems like the Korean commanders are putting their people in unnecessary danger.
I stand corrected?
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200809/200809300009.html
“but enforcing Korea’s waters is the duty of the ROK Navy and Coast Guard.”
Robert, of course you’re right about this. And strength on the part of the Koreans (not to mention some smarts, as #3 pointed out above) is crucial. But the reality is that they can’t do it all. Korea and China have to see their mutual interest in supporting the policing actions of their respective coast guard/navies. If they fail to see that, the balls and the guns don’t matter.
4. Yes, I just updated the post. But more to the point, regardless of whether Northeast Asian nations are engaging in proper diplomacy or not (and for the record, the Chinese government HAS been trying to crack down on illegal fishing), this isn’t a diplomatic issue — it’s a law enforcement issue. China aggressively enforces its laws on its own territory — going so far as to execute a Korean for drug offenses without even informing the Korean government — so there’s no reason for Seoul to read China’s nunchi when enforcing Korea’s EEZ.
Regarding #3:
Not when its done by law enforcement agents searching a foreign ship suspected of illegal activity… hailing from a nation known for violently resisting searches. Frankly, though, it wouldn’t even been necessary to do that if they’d just go in heavy when they board Chinese boats.
#5: Well, yes, if it were a case of the Chinese authorities sitting back and watching as their fishermen plundered Korea’s EEZ, diplomatic efforts would be required. But balls and guns are important, too, especially when criminals see your law enforcement personnel as pushovers. Korea can’t expect China to enforce Korean law, after all.
What i’m trying to get at is that the guns and balls approach are good for immediate problems. longer term solutions require the diplomacy that experts have always said the “asians” have been incapable of. Institution building and positively reinforcing iterations of mutual exchange do much more in the long run. But the knock against these countries, and the reason why they still don’t have a truly powerful system of currency swaps,for example, is that they don’t talk to any great degree of success.
(2.) “making ourselves feel better by chest thumping will not do anything to solve the deeper problem”
If you thump THEIR chest hard enough, the problem doesn’t happen again.
(8.) “…solutions require the diplomacy that experts have always said the “asians” have been incapable of…”
To paraphrase The Onion discussing violence in the middle east, “It’s time to stop thinking of this as a crisis, and admit this is their culture.”
(8.) Re: “diplomacy”
Diplomacy only works is when you’re accepting their unconditional surrender. Any other time, it’s a waste of time.
#8: Sorry, but this made me laugh out loud: “Institution building and positively reinforcing iterations of mutual exchange do much more in the long run.”
Yes, and I’m sure if Korean Coast Guardsmen and Chinese fishermen got together and sat around the campfire singing “Kumbaya” this problem would go away.
I’m with Koehler on this one: These dudes need to grow a pair and bring out the heavy artillery.
anunsaram:
Koreans no balls? I’d say it takes a lot of balls to board a boatload of pipe-wielding bastards when you know you don’t have anything more than a gas gun and a stun gun.
gbevers:
How predictable. Distort what’s going in order to take a dig at whatever the Korean side is doing. Most people would see law enforcement agents taking the captain of a foreign ship in their EEZ suspected of illicit activity as legal and justified, but not gbevers. If the Koreans are doing it, it must be wrong. It’s kidnapping! Since the Chinese and the Koreans do have a dispute over where the EEZ lines should be, maybe you can go take their side.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socotra_Rock
The fishery resources in Bohai and Yellow Sea was already depleted to the point where the Chinese government imposed 2-3 month Summer fishing bans since 1995. There’s over 80,000 Chinese fishing ships operating in the area and the Chinese Coast Guard is simply not equipped to police that kind of numbers.
If China and Korea is serious about protecting their marine resources, they must invest in more marine patrol capability and impose year-long bans on commercial fishing in the area. Top water fish is also very sensitive to pollutants and more must be done to clean up sewage and river outputs.
China and Korea can look to Canada and US-Alaskan regulations on their fishery for good practices. The number of commercial fishing vessels must be reduced to a manageable level and workers retrained for other jobs. Destructive fishing methods also need to be banned.
If the governments don’t have the balls to do this, there will be nothing left to catch 50 years from now.
“…I’d say it takes a lot of balls to board….”
Let’s recap: One of your team dead, the rest of your team humiliated, the other team got away and YOUR OWN GOV’T WON’T BACK YOU UP.
The phrase ‘ a lot of balls’ does not mean what you think it means.
The phrase ‘ a lot of balls’ does not mean what you think it means.
Having a lot of balls means having a lot of courage or guts to do something tough. In comment #1, anunsaram said “Koreans… no balls.”
I’m saying it depends on which Koreans you’re talking about. The Korean government and its milquetoast response to bad acts by Chinese? I’d agree they don’t seem to have any balls.
But Korean Coast Guard members in the middle of the water lacking proper fire power but still trying to board a ship of angry interlopers swinging deadly implements? That takes a lot of balls.
In the first paragraph I meant having a lot of courage or guts to do something tough, especially if other people might find it too stupid or recklessly bold to do.
Can someone tell me where the candlelight vigil is going to be held? I’d like to join in to mourn the 27 Coast Guard personnel killed or injured by the Chinese fishermen.
Oh wait…..never mind.
(17.) If your life (or the life of those you love) isn’t being threatened, and you do something stupid, it isn’t “balls”.
Whining about sovereignty without arms at hand… is just freakin’ dumb. Only results matter. Getting yourself killed this way… just shows Korea needs to step up it’s game.
I feel bad for the dead man (and the other dead and wounded). Until the Korean gov’t decides to honor Korea by being adults – or gawd help us, MEN – this spineless, wasteful baloney is going to continue.
Well, I don’t disagree with any of that.
Maekchu:
Can someone tell me where the candlelight vigil is going to be held? I’d like to join in to mourn the 27 Coast Guard personnel killed or injured by the Chinese fishermen.
Asked and answered:
Going further with my agreement with Lupin IV, the Coast Guard members do have the guts to go after these guys, so by all means give them the firepower and the green light to do it effectively.
I think maybe next time there’s a dispute with management at my school, we’ll try taking hostages. We even have a teacher who looks Chinese, so maybe it’ll work.
I think maybe next time there’s a dispute with management at my school, we’ll try taking hostages.
If management has illegally entered your residential property and is swinging at you with shovels and crowbars but you think you can somehow manage to hold one of them until the police come, I say go for it.
If I weren’t a bignose barbarian whose visa can be taken away for politicking, I would go to the Chinese Embassy myself with my own sandwichboard and candle. A one-man candlelight vigil.
But I’d get my ass thrown out of Korea for that. I mean, how would that look? Whitey protesting the killing of Korean CG officers by Chinese pirates, but not a single Korean not giving a damn. Certainly can’t have that.
The idea that the candlelight vigil protests were attended strictly by anti-US interests is superficial. Protesting against policy is different than protesting against a nation. It’s the same myopic view that protesting against the Iraq war is anti-American.
People at Jongno were protesting against Lee’s kowtowing to Bush… specifically the beef import issue. It is not in Korea’s interest to follow the principles and policies of the Bush Administration.
The rampant piracy that occurs off the coast of Somalia was initially a response by angry fisherman wanting to protect their waters from foreign poachers.
Since the Chinese government is either unwilling or unable to control their poaching fishermen and the Korean government is as usual kow-towing and paying tribute to their Chinese overlords, I would love to see the average Korean take up arms and protect the country’s waters. In fact, I might be up for a bit of such piracy myself. The markets are killing me and the earned ransom would come in handy. I am a decent sailor have handy a copy of Capt Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar that I have been dying to put to good use.
As opposed to bending over and taking it from the Chinese.
It’s OK, vince. You can admit it — you’ll feel better afterwards. Just repeat after me:
“The candlelight ceremonies were all about using crude anti-Americanism to score political points after the crushing defeats of so-called ‘progressive’ forces in the presidential and general elections.”
See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
Old habits die hard, it seems.
Goryeo and Joseon had a habit of whingeing to the Chrysanthemum throne and bakufu about pirates in the 14th, 15th and pre-Hideyoshi invasion 16th century – although it made (and makes) no historical sense to characterize those pirates as “Japanese” and even less to think that the Japanese court/bakufu was any more obligated or able to police such pirates’ depredations in Korea (as opposed to the equally frequent intrusions that such “Japanese” pirates also made in territory under the control of the Japanese court/bakufu).
Once again, it looks like Korea is winding up the engines of resentment and han to blame someone else for its own failure to cowboy up.
Do Korean boats fish illegally in other countries’ waters?
Sure. Japan’s, for starters:
http://www.rjkoehler.com/2005/06/02/great-east-sea-tug-of-war/
The Korean Herald published a good opinion piece by Professor Kim Seong-gon of Seoul National University today on this topic. Professor Kim seems to agree with our Marmot.
Also, @ user-81,
I meant that we the teachers ought to be wielding pipes and taking hostages, like the Chinese. Not sure how that wasn’t clear.
Here’s the actual link to Prof. Kim’s piece:
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2008/10/01/200810010039.asp
And here’s a comment I left at Korea Beat:
Granfalloon:
Also, @ user-81,
I meant that we the teachers ought to be wielding pipes and taking hostages, like the Chinese. Not sure how that wasn’t clear.
Sorry, I misread that. When you wrote said you would try taking hostages, I was still thinking of what gbevers said about the Korean Coast Guard taking the Chinese ship captain “in case of emergency” being kidnapping.
Besides, when making an analogy why would anyone liken themselves to the Chinese?
Even if the alternative is likening themselves to the Koreans? double- 
Actually it makes a lot of sense to engage in candle light protests against a democratic ally, and not to use them against an authoritarian foe, or neutral third party, depending on how South Korea views China. Peaceful protest is a language democracies understand – but the Chinese government may not, and could view the protest as representing some kind of top down orchestrated shift of S Korean policy away from China. Considering the importance of Chinese influence in N Korea, S Korea does not want to send that message. Another factor, consider that US alliance is perceived in Korea as affecting the lives of more Koreans than do relations with China. Not just economically but also impacting Korea’s all important sovereignty and the sensitive issue of national pride. Most Koreans are not engaged in the fishing industry, and don’t see China as a threat to their sovereignty, not yet anyway.
@27 – Nice demolition job.
@25 – Reality has undercut your valiant post hoc efforts to inject principles and ideas into the 2008 protests. Time to give it a rest.
Well, I think this is why you can’t see any candles.
http://www.pressian.com/scripts/section/article.asp?article_num=60081002111426
Nice effort on Prof. Jin’s part. Still ignores the fact that the same government bashed for the beef issue badly bungled its handling of the melamine issue specifically AND Chinese imported food products generally… on top of recent provocations and outrageous behavior by Chinese nationals, again handled atrociously and in , dare I say, 사대주의-esque fashion, but alas, no candles. He can point to the differences all he wants (although he doesn’t point out the most important one — the melamine threat is real, while the US beef “threat” was manufactured), but we all know had this been a US food product and a GI or US civilian had killed a Korean police officer following repeated assaults on Korean law enforcement personnel on top of US English teachers running riot in downtown Seoul, there’d be protesters flooding downtown Seoul calling for blood.
But I guess the candlelight crowd don’t see any political gain to be made from protesting China.
I guess it’s true. Some Koreans just don’t like US policy (and maybe our culture and the way we smell) and will take any viable opportunity to protest against us. Are your feelings hurt? Maybe we just need to try harder to be nice. Or maybe we stop inventing extreme sports like “subprime mortgage surfing” and “topple the oil rich dictator”? Those pesky games have convoluted rules and do have a way of affecting the rest of the world for some reason.
Naw. Since we’re here in Korea, we should simply bask in the knowledge a developing country like China has deeper problems… like desperate fisherman.
Hey, at least you admit is was about anti-Americanism.
More than some will admit.
So I hear the Korean government will get “tough” on the Chinese illegal fishermen. They’re just going to give the coast guards, a bigger taser. Absolutely insane.
http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/117_32119.html
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