By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea is suspected of having sold fishing rights to China in its territorial waters near the inter-Korean border, officials said Monday.



The Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) said that 10 Chinese trawlers retreated from the waters near the estuary of the Han River around 11:40 a.m. after they were approached by South Korean naval vessels, crossing into North Korea-controlled waters, Sunday.



The 10 trawlers were among up to some 20 fishing boats that a joint team of South Korean military and United Nations Command (UNC) officials chased away for conducting illegal fishing in the U.N.-designated maritime buffer zone alongside the Han River last week.



Government officials and analysts speculated that North Korea's Coast Guard did not take action against the 10 boats as a result of a possible deal between the two countries over fishing rights.



The North Korean authorities, military and state-controlled media also remained mum over the Chinese boats staying in the country's territorial waters.



"We can't make a prejudgment as to why North Korea did not respond to those boats but we can't rule out the possibility that it is related to sales of fishing rights," said Ministry of Defense spokesman Moon Sang-gyun.



An Chan-il, head of the World North Korea Research Center, said, "It's possible that the impoverished regime has been making money by handing out fishing rights to Chinese fishermen."



The analysts warned such a sale could cause military and diplomatic conflicts.



"The case involves the Chinese government, the militaries from both Koreas as well as the UNC and it could grow into a diplomatic battle if we don't settle it properly," An said.



Yang, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, speculated North Korea may try to capitalize on the incursions by Chinese boats against South Korea in the future.



"The boundary between North Korean waters and neutral waters is obviously vague at sea, and Pyongyang may wait until a crackdown team enters its territory one day," he said. "It will then use it as an excuse to make military provocations or a means for inter-Korean dialogue."



