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South Korea increases Coast Guard surveillance as Chinese fishing boats gather near maritime border with North

Published: 04 May. 2026, 20:27

Chinese fishing vessels sail north in the East Sea on May 2. [KOREA COAST GUARD]

South Korea's Coast Guard has stepped up surveillance and enforcement efforts after around 100 Chinese fishing vessels were spotted gathering near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea.

The vessels have recently moved northward along the eastern coast and are now in waters near the inter-Korean maritime boundary, according to the Coast Guard on Monday.

Chinese fishing boats take advantage of lax enforcement by North Korean authorities to carry out poaching in waters close to the NLL on both sides of the Korean Peninsula.

The South Korean Coast Guard is especially wary of conducting enforcement operations close to the NLL in the Yellow Sea, which the North does not recognize. Chinese boats often exploit this caution by fishing just south of the NLL and then crossing back over the border when the South Korean Coast Guard approaches.

The agency said it has deployed a large patrol ship to the East Sea to prevent any illegal fishing activities by Chinese boats.

The scale of Chinese fishing activity near South Korean territorial waters has steadily increased in recent years. About 400 vessels were observed last year, officials said.

The Coast Guard said it is strengthening on-site monitoring while conducting continuous inspections of fishing activity to guard against illegal operations. It is also carrying out enforcement drills, including training in the use of force, to bolster readiness.

In particular, authorities plan to transmit warnings to Chinese vessels via radio while they are in transit in an effort to pre-empt illegal fishing.

Officials said they would respond “strongly and strictly” if any violations are confirmed in South Korean waters.

One Chinese vessel was issued a warning for sailing under a South Korean flag last year, according to the Coast Guard.

“We will thoroughly monitor and respond firmly to illegal fishing by Chinese vessels to protect our maritime sovereignty and establish order in the fishing industry,” said Kim Hwan-kyung, chief of the Coast Guard unit responsible for patrolling the East Sea.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]