South Korea Detains Chinese Fisherman After Clash in Yellow Sea

Once Chinese fisherman was killed in the incident

SEOUL: South Korea's coastguard said on Wednesday it was holding 23 Chinese fishermen in custody for questioning after a violent clash in the Yellow Sea that left one Chinese crew member dead.

The coastguard seized two 93-tonne vessels on Tuesday and towed them to the southwestern port of Mokpo after an operation against some 30 Chinese trawlers it said were fishing illegally in South Korean waters.

"A Chinese consul general interviewed the fishermen one by one after they arrived here this morning," a coastguard spokesman said from Mokpo.