China urges ROK to thoroughly investigate death of fisherman

China on Wednesday urged the Republic of Korea (ROK) to thoroughly investigate the case of a Chinese fisherman who was shot dead by a South Korean Coast Guard officer during a raid on Tuesday.

The Department of Consular Affairs under the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Chinese embassy in Seoul and the consulate-general in Gwangju immediately lodged solemn representations to the ROK and urged the country to carry out fair and responsible investigations to determine the cause of the incident and punish relevant personnel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.

"The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in Seoul will closely monitor the investigation process and urge the ROK to thoroughly investigate the case so as to protect the safety of the lives and legal rights of Chinese fishermen," Hong said.

China urges the ROK to take effective measures to stop violence in law enforcement and make sure this kind of incident never happens again, Hong said.

While commenting on fishing disputes between China and the ROK, Hong said the Chinese government has always taken real measures to educate and manage Chinese fishermen and asks them to conduct legal fishing activities.

The Chinese fisherman was shot with a rubber bullet by an ROK officer who was trying to arrest him during a raid. He died from injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital, according to ROK authorities.