A new management body will be created to curb illegal fishing by Chinese boats in the South Sea and waters off Jeju Island, where such operations are widespread compared to other waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
  
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced plans to strengthen monitoring the nation’s fishing grounds on Thursday, marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the fisheries management service covering the East Sea and the Yellow Sea.
 
The ministry said 57 percent of illegal Chinese fishing operations are conducted in the South Sea or near Jeju. Fifty-two-thousand Chinese ships were found to have operated in the southern waters last year alone.

Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Young-suk asserted that the move will ease public concerns about diminishing maritime resources and illegal operations by Chinese fishing boats.