Lee vows stern action against illegal fishing by Chinese boats in Korean waters

President Lee Jae Myung (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday urged the Korea Coast Guard to take stern action against Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in South Korean waters.

"They not only violate the law but also violently resist authorities' enforcement by arming themselves with iron bars," Lee said during a policy briefing of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Coast Guard, held at the Oceans Ministry headquarters.

Tougher actions will prevent the recurrence of illegal fishing activities, Lee added.

"We should remind (Chinese boats illegally fishing in South Korean waters) that they will face the consequences," Lee said.

As part of the move, Lee instructed the government to consider ways to increase fines on violators.

"Let's say one out of 10 Chinese boats get caught by South Korean authorities, and what if 10 Chinese boats pay the fine together for one boat that was caught? Then we won't be able to respond to (illegal fishing) efficiently," Lee said, "In this vein, we should raise the fine to a level that 10 boats would find hard to pay."

This led Korea Coast Guard acting chief Jang In-sik to remark that his agency would work to draft legislation together with relevant ministries.

Tuesday's session in Busan marked the end of a series of policy briefings livestreamed over the past couple of weeks, according to Lee.