South Korea to use AI and drones to track illegal Chinese fishing trawlers

Chinese fishing is increasing security risks near South Korea's tense nautical border, said a top Cabinet member in Seoul, pledging to deploy advanced technology to crack down on illegal trawling. Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Moon Seong-hyeok said in an interview that illegal fishing must be "completely eradicated," joining in calls from across Asia to end what many see as Beijing's assertive push into regional waters. South Korea has long complained about Chinese trawlers operating in the Yellow Sea -- what Koreans call the West Sea -- near its islands off the coast of North Korea. "When it comes to illegal fishing, whether it be foreign or domestic vessels, we will crack down," Moon told Bloomberg News on Friday, saying South Korea will from next year increase its maritime surveillance systems using drones at sea and artificial intelligence. South Korea, which lists the U.S. as its main military ally and China as its biggest trading partner, turned up the pressure on Beijing over the weekend when it won from Washington a termination of bilateral missile guidelines that have long restricted Seoul's development of missiles to under the range of 800 kilometers (500 miles).