Coast Guard Receives Record Incentive of 18 Million Won for Seizing Eight Chinese Vessels near NLL

Korea Coast Guard Awards Special Performance Bonuses Totaling 53.4 Million Won to 29 Officers in 10 Cases

The Korea Coast Guard has awarded a total of 18 million won in incentive bonuses to six coast guard officers who apprehended eight Chinese fishing vessels in the waters near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea.

According to the Korea Coast Guard on September 11, six officers from the West Sea Five Islands Special Security Unit of the Central Coast Guard District were recognized for their achievements during a government-wide joint crackdown on August 11, when they seized eight illegal Chinese fishing boats and expelled 24 additional vessels near Yeonpyeong Island.

The NLL waters are a zone where foreign fishing operations are prohibited, but Chinese vessels frequently cross the line and operate there, taking advantage of the division between North and South Korea, which makes enforcement challenging. Unlike conventional methods of chasing and intercepting illegal fishing vessels during their operations, these officers proactively collaborated with related agencies to apprehend vessels illegally anchored within territorial waters, resulting in successful seizures.

Recently, the government announced four cross-ministry measures: strengthening crackdowns on Chinese fishing boats near the NLL, forcibly removing illegal fishing gear and installing artificial structures, bolstering on-site enforcement capabilities, and enhancing diplomatic cooperation. The government is now rigorously responding to Chinese fishing activities in these waters.

Chinese fishing vessels seized and escorted by the Coast Guard. Provided by the Korea Coast Guard

This 18 million won bonus is the largest paid since the Korea Coast Guard introduced a new special performance reward system this year, in line with government policy. The special performance reward system allows the agency head to grant up to 30 million won to civil servants who achieve exceptional results, based on the government philosophy of "fair personnel management and clear accountability."

Following a first round of awards totaling 16 million won in June, the second round, which included rewards for enforcement around the NLL and measures against new types of illegal fishing activities, is estimated to generate an economic effect of approximately 3.3 billion won per year. Additionally, a total of 53.4 million won was distributed to 29 people across 10 cases, including rescuing citizens during heavy rains in Geoje and Tongyeong.

The Korea Coast Guard ensured fairness and objectivity by having a special performance reward review committee comprising 260 members of the public and external and internal experts review the selections.

Jang Insik, acting Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, stated, "I hope that thorough performance-based rewards will boost the morale of our dedicated staff and further contribute to safeguarding public safety."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.