Chinese captain dead in fishing clash in S. Korea

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SEOUL, South Korea?- A Chinese fisherman was shot dead by the South Korean coast guard Friday morning in what the coast guard claimed was its crackdown on illegal fishing.

"The skipper was shot dead in the process of crackdown. Details on the incident would be announced in the near future, but not today," a coast guard official told Xinhua by phone.

The official declined to comment on how many blank and live ammunitions the South Korean coast guard officer shot and other details on the incident.

The 45-year-old skipper Song Houmu of the 80-ton fishing boat Noyoung 50987 was found having difficulties in breathing and belly ache in what the coast guard claimed was its crackdown on the boat's illegal fishing, Yonhap News Agency reported.

It happened at about 8:30 a.m. local time in waters some 144 km west of the Wangdeung Island in Buan County, North Jeolla Province.

Song was taken to a nearby Mokpo Hankook Hospital in the southwestern city of Mokpo by helicopter, receiving the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but was confirmed dead on the way.

The hospital was quoted as saying Song was shot from the back to the left side of his abdomen according to a CT image. A piece of 1.8 cm bullet was left inside of his body, with his lung filled with blood.

The South Korean coast guard sent two patrol ships to crack down on the boat and questioned the fishermen on board.

While questioning, four separate Chinese fishing boats stayed on the left and right sides of the Noyoung boat, resisting fiercely and using violence in protest against the crackdown, according to Yonhap.

During the hand-to-hand fight between coast guard officers and fishermen, a South Korean officer fired warning shots with a K5 pistol, which were estimated to have caused the death of the skipper.