China, South Korea jointly patrol in Yellow Sea
China and South Korea completed a 10-day joint maritime law enforcement patrol in the Yellow Sea fishing zone the two countries share under their bilateral fisheries agreement, with the China Coast Guard ship Changshan and the South Korean fisheries guidance vessel Mugunghwa 42 sailing together.
Over more than 210 hours at sea and more than 1,200 nautical miles (about 2,200 km), the two ships observed and recorded 123 Chinese and South Korean fishing vessels, issued broadcast warnings and safety reminders to 74, and boarded and inspected three, according to the China Coast Guard, which said fishing activity in the patrolled waters was generally orderly.
The patrol took place in the Provisional Measures Zone, a jointly managed area of the Yellow Sea set up under the China-South Korea Fisheries Agreement, which entered into force in June 2001 to manage fishing where the two countries’ exclusive economic zone claims overlap. Fishing boats from both countries may operate in the zone, and each side’s enforcement authorities oversee their own vessels.
The China Coast Guard described the patrol as a practical step in carrying out the fisheries agreement, saying it deepened law enforcement exchanges between the two countries, strengthened management of fishing vessels in the zone, and helped combat illegal fishing and conserve marine fishery resources. The service said it would continue to expand practical cooperation with South Korean maritime law enforcement agencies to jointly protect the Yellow Sea’s fishery resources.
The Mugunghwa vessels are operated by South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which uses them to supervise fishing and crack down on illegal catches in Korean waters. China and South Korea have run joint patrols in the zone for several years: the China Coast Guard and the Korea Coast Guard held their first joint patrol there in November 2020, and in April 2021 the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries sent the Mugunghwa 36 to patrol the zone alongside China Coast Guard vessel 6306.
The two countries also cooperate on aquaculture issues in the area. In January 2026, China began relocating the Atlantic Amsterdam, a platform it had placed inside the Provisional Measures Zone, to a commercial shipyard in China, the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported.
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China and South Korea completed a 10-day joint maritime law enforcement patrol in the Yellow Sea, involving the China Coast Guard ship Changshan and the South Korean vessel Mugunghwa 42. The patrol covered over 1,200 nautical miles, during which 123 fishing vessels were monitored, and 3 were inspected. This operation is part of a bilateral fisheries agreement aimed at managing fishing activities in overlapping economic zones.
- China and South Korea conducted a 10-day joint patrol in the Yellow Sea.
- The patrol involved the China Coast Guard ship Changshan and the South Korean vessel Mugunghwa 42.
- 123 fishing vessels were observed, with 3 boarded and inspected.
- The patrol aimed to enforce fisheries regulations and combat illegal fishing.
- This operation is part of ongoing cooperation between the two countries since 2020.