South Korea on Thursday called for a "fundamental solution" for illegal fishing in its territorial waters after the death of a Chinese fisherman earlier this week prompted Chinese protests.

The 44-year-old fisherman surnamed Jang was shot dead by a South Korean coast guard officer during a raid Tuesday on some 30 Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in waters near Hongdo Island, some 115 kilometers away from the port city of Mokpo.

The fisherman was hit by a rubber bullet, and died of injuries after being rushed to a local hospital.

The Chinese embassy here has conveyed its "strong dissatisfaction" over the death, and the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson demanded South Korea "stop violent law enforcement."

"We deeply regret the death of a Chinese fisherman, regardless of where the responsibility lies," foreign ministry spokesman Cho Tae-young told reporters during a briefing in what was the first official response from Seoul.

"(Both sides) need to calmly respond and wait for findings of an investigation rather than presuming the coast guard raid was a case of violent law enforcement," he said, adding the fishermen violently resisted the arrest.

There should be a fundamental solution for illegal fishing in South Korean waters to prevent the recurrence of the incident, the spokesman said, calling for "China's cooperation" in drawing up such measures.

Fourteen fishermen are currently being questioned by the authorities here.