Governor of South Korea's Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Oh Young-hun visits the Chinese Consulate General and meets with Consul General Chen Jianjun on May 14, 2015 to express gratitude for the Chinese Coast Guard's rescue of a Jeju fishing boat. Photo: the Consulate General of China in Jeju

Governor of South Korea's Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Oh Young-hun visited the Consulate General of China in Jeju on Wednesday specifically to express gratitude to Consul General Chen Jianjun for the China Coast Guard (CCG)'s rescue of a Jeju fishing boat, as the CCG said on Thursday that they successfully rescued eight foreign fishermen in distress on Tuesday with all individuals in good health currently.

Oh sincerely thanked the CCG for their timely assistance, which led to the successful rescue of all eight crew members from the distressed fishing vessel, saying that this act fully demonstrated the spirit of mutual support and neighborly friendship between South Korea and China, according to the Consulate General.

Oh emphasized that this year marks the 33rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, and Jeju will host a series of celebratory events to further promote friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Chen said that China and South Korea are inseparable neighbors with a long history of friendly interactions. The governments of both countries, especially their coast guard agencies, have made outstanding contributions to safeguarding the lives and property of each other's fishermen, reflecting the traditional friendship between the two peoples. China highly appreciates these efforts.

The Consulate General is willing to work hand in hand with Jeju Province to continuously advance the in-depth development of China-South Korea friendly cooperation, Chen said.

As the Consulate General introduced, on Tuesday afternoon, a Jeju fishing boat carrying eight crew members capsized in the East China Sea, prompting the Jeju Coast Guard to request assistance from relevant Chinese authorities. The East China Sea branch of the China Coast Guard responded promptly, dispatching vessels to the scene. By approximately 8:20 pm, all eight crew members were successfully rescued.

According to the CCG, at 5:31 pm that day, the CCG bureau received an alert from higher authorities that a South Korean fishing vessel, "887 EOJIN," was in distress in the East China Sea with a cracked hull and in critical condition. The bureau immediately dispatched the vessels to rush at full speed to the scene, while activating emergency protocols and mobilizing nearby ships for a joint rescue operation. 

During the rescue, it was learned that the fishing boat had suffered hull damage and flooding due to a stern shaft failure, resulting in a complete power outage and significant water ingress, posing a risk of capsizing, said the CCG.

The CCG vessel implemented a transfer rescue plan, successfully evacuating all eight trapped fishermen to safety on board. They were provided with drinking water, food, and other necessities, and their physical condition was assessed. Currently, all individuals are safe and in good health.

It was reported that the fishing boat was a longliner that had been operating at sea for 20 days since departure, , the CCG said.

For a long time, the coast guard agencies of China and South Korea have carried out effective cooperation in protecting the lives and property of each other's fishermen. According to statistics, since last year, Chinese crew members in distress have also been actively rescued seven times by the Jeju Coast Guard, according to the Consulate General.

Global Times