Lee vows no exceptions as Chinese fishing boats face record South Korean bonds

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged on October 22 to enforce fishing laws without exceptions as Chinese boats seized near the maritime boundary with North Korea faced record bond orders, The Korea Herald reported. The orders reach 1.5 billion won per vessel, five times the previous maximum, raising the financial stakes for operators accused of fishing illegally in South Korean waters.

Lee shared a report about the boats on X and wrote: ‘In the Republic of Korea, the law is the law. No exceptions, under any circumstances.’ The Korea Herald reported that the Korea Coast Guard had ordered bonds of 1.5 billion won each for two Chinese boats seized on September 16 near the Northern Limit Line off Baengnyeongdo.

How South Korea’s higher fishing bonds work

In an October 14 notice, the Korea Coast Guard said amendments had raised the maximum bond for foreign boats caught fishing illegally from 300 million won to 1.5 billion won. The notice also described plans to step up enforcement around the October 16 reopening of trawling. The new ceiling gives authorities a larger financial guarantee to demand in qualifying cases.

A bond can allow a detained vessel and its crew to be released while legal proceedings continue, The Korea Herald explained. Posting one does not settle the alleged violation or rule out a later fine. It was not immediately clear whether the operators had paid the bonds or whether the boats and crews had been released.

Lee had called for tougher financial penalties at a Coast Guard policy briefing in December 2025, questioning whether existing fines were enough to discourage illegal fishing, The Korea Herald reported. He suggested a level that would remain burdensome even if 10 vessels pooled money to pay. The latest orders put the higher bond ceiling into use in cases involving boats seized near the Northern Limit Line.