China verifying conflict between fishermen, ROK coast guards

China is verifying the details of a conflict between Chinese fishermen and coast guards of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

An unidentified official with the department made the comments in response to a report that a conflict took place in the Yellow Sea between a Chinese vessel and ROK coast guards on Monday morning. The incident left four of the coast guards injured and resulted in nine Chinese fishermen being detained.

The Chinese side is verifying the situation and called on the ROK side to take concrete measures to ensure the security and legitimate rights of those fishermen, said the official.

The Chinese side will maintain communication with the ROK side and appropriately resolve the issue through joint efforts, according to the official.