Chinese fishermen no enemy of S.Korea

A Chinese fisherman was killed on Friday morning by a South Korean coast guard officer who opened fire with a pistol. According to the South Korean authorities, the Chinese fishing boat had crossed the border to fish in South Korean sea waters, and the tragedy took place when the fisherman "resisted" the coast guards' attempt to seize the boat.

Conflicts between Chinese fishermen and South Korean coast guard officers have been occurring for a long time. In 2012, a Chinese fisherman was killed by a rubber bullet fired by the South Korean coast guard. This time, it was a real bullet that killed the fisherman.

Even if the Chinese boat did cross the border as the South Korean side alleged, and the fisherman did "resist" the South Korean coast guard operation, should the officers have fired real bullets and killed him? Some people in South Korea may think that by doing this the law enforcers could look "awesome." But have they considered the feelings of the Chinese people?

Both sides must be extremely careful when firing up public sentiment against the other side.

China has never encouraged its people to fish on the South Korean side. On the contrary, the authorities have always tried to persuade the fishermen to abide by the law.

For some reason, the fishermen insist on trying their chances. The sea territory is different from that of the land, it is possible the fishermen's awareness of maritime rights and obligations is not as clear as that of the land border. However, if the South Korean authorities use force too harshly and promptly, they will have gone even further astray than the fishermen.

The Chinese government needs to further educate its fishermen to follow laws. But the South Korean coast guard should also be aware that the sea border between China and South Korea is not the same as the "38th Parallel" dividing the two Koreas. As long as the Chinese fishermen did not threaten the coast guard officers' lives, the officers should not have fired a real bullet into the fisherman's heart.

These fishermen are, at most, violators of economic laws, or might have resisted law enforcement to some degree. But the fishermen are not terrorists. They are people who make a living on the sea. They are not the enemy of South Korea.

The South Korean government should take Sino-Korean relations into account, investigate the incident and punish the officer according to the law, so as to give the Chinese people a convincing answer to the fisherman's death.

We hope this incident is only an unexpected accident, not a "standard response" for Chinese fishermen who might have crossed the border.

We also wish to see a reasonable and restrained South Korea instead of a country with rising nationalistic flames.