Fishermen wait for final verdict in S.Korea court

A group of Chinese fishermen who were charged with obstructing officials in the performance of their duties by the South Korean authorities after a clash at sea in 2012 have completed all seven court hearings and are, for the first time, looking at a promising verdict.

Wang Xiaofu, a fisherman from Wenling, Zhejiang Province, was arrested along with other members of the crew by the South Korean Coast Guard on January 17, 2012 on his way back from Korean waters to Zhejiang Province.

Wang claims that members of the crew were beaten by South Korean Coast Guard officers without cause despite the fact that they held a valid fishing permit from the South Korean government and did not resist the demand for an onboard inspection.

Yan Keqing, owner of the fishing boat and employer of Wang, told the Global Times that the fishermen were forced into signing a transcript of the interrogation, which was written in Korean, a language none of the Chinese fishermen understood.

The transcript was rejected by the court along with a video provided by the Coast Guard from the Cheju office, as the South Korean Coast Guard authority later admitted that they edited the video to remove the footage of the beating, Wang's lawyer, Peng Youyi, told the Global Times.

The last court hearing came after the South Korean government's announcement that it would take a full array of countermeasures against illegal Chinese fishing in South Korean waters.

"We understand the fishing conflict is a sensitive topic between China and South Korea," Wang's lawyer, said Peng, adding that they have fought hard in court and are now expecting the verdict on February 20.