By Jung Min-ho



Korea's Coast Guard will use crew-served weapons on illegal Chinese fishing boats if they do not cooperate with law enforcement, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security said Tuesday.



Larger vessels, helicopters and Special Forces will also be deployed to reinforce security in the nation's territorial waters.



The measures come four days after a Chinese fishing vessel sank a Coast Guard speed boat off Incheon by ramming it.



"For Chinese fishing boats that resist by using violence, we will respond sternly using all means," Lee Chun-jae, a Coast Guard official, said in a press briefing. "We will also use the option of ramming Chinese fishing boats with our vessels, if necessary."



If Chinese fishing boats flee, he said, the Korean Coast Guard will chase after them until they are apprehended, in cooperation with the Chinese authorities.



"We will make them realize they cannot get away with illegal fishing in Korean waters," Lee said. "For those who are captured, we will deal with them with harsh punishment."



He said the ministry will reinforce regular patrols in cooperation with the Navy and the Chinese government.



Regarding the Chinese fishing boat that fled after sinking the Coast Guard boat, he said the ministry will try its best to arrest those responsible.



On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned China's Ambassador to Seoul Chu Guohong to deliver its regret and protest. Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hyong-zhin told Chu that the Chinese government should take measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.



Kim urged the Chinese government to take prompt action to investigate, catch and punish the fishermen, while Chu said his government is dealing with it seriously and hopes to resolve the issue jointly with the Korean government.



Earlier, Korea also filed a formal complaint to Beijing's consul-general here, while Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing that "Korea should deal with the incident in a cool-headed and sensible manner in terms of bilateral relations and regional stability."



On Friday, a fleet of Chinese fishing vessels teamed up and one rammed the Coast Guard boat, which was dispatched there to crack down on their illegal fishing.



According to the Coast Guard, one officer was onboard the speed boat when the Chinese ship rammed it. Outnumbered, however, the Coast Guard fled the scene and the Chinese escaped to their waters with little damage.



The officer survived by throwing himself overboard seconds before the boat capsized.



Following the incident, many Koreans were angered and politicians urged the government to come up with tougher measures to prevent future incidents.



