One dead after spat at sea
Sep 27, 2008 9:46 PM


South Korea's coast guard is questioning the crew of a Chinese fishing boat after an officer was killed when the vessel was seized in its territorial waters, officers said.

The Chinese fishermen used shovels and steel pipes to fight off coast guard officers as they tried to board the vessel off the southwestern coast of Jeolla province on Thursday, the officers said.

"Nine crew members who were brought in in the morning and two who arrived later with the vessel are being questioned by the investigation section," an officer said by telephone.

The body of the officer was picked up hours after he was thrown overboard in the violent operation, apparently after he was hit by a shovel swung by a Chinese crewmember, news reports said quoting officers who viewed video footage of the operation.
The deadly incident came just days after coast guard officials in the southern port city of Mokpo met with Chinese diplomats seeking help to prevent Chinese fishing boats entering the territorial waters illegally.