The World On arirang

On October 7, Chinese boats illegally fishing in the West Sea caused a patrol boat from Korea's coast guard to sink. Seoul quickly responded, vowing to step up crackdowns and take more forceful measures, prompting Beijing to call this an abuse of authority. Illegal fishing is becoming a bigger headache for Korea by the day, as Chinese fishermen have often been resorting to violence to evade apprehension. Despite the growing risks, why are Chinese fishing companies continuously engaging in illegal fishing, and what can Korea do to stem this trend?

Korea is not the only country struggling with China's illegal fishing activities. Neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as far-off nations like South Africa and Argentina are also seeing their marine resources being encroached upon. China's appetite for seafood as well as other natural resources has been growing at a rapid pace, leading to more territorial disputes as seen in other waters around the world. Where are some of the most contested battlegrounds for resources, and are there a better means of resolution for these maritime disputes?

We sit down to discuss these issues and more.