The death of a Chinese fisherman during a confrontation with Korean authorities last week was due to a rupture in his heart, the result of shock caused by being hit with rubber bullet, the state forensic agency said Saturday.

Citing an interim autopsy result, the National Forensic Service said part of the left side of his ribs was fractured, and the upper tip of his heart was cut about 2mm. This cut was the result of shock, not from the broken bones, it explained.

“There were no signs of a battering, other shock or any damage to his skull,” Choi Young-sik, senior forensic expert at the agency, told reporters following a two-hour autopsy.



“When the heart ruptures, blood spills into the pericardium. Considering that there was a considerable amount of blood in it, he appears to have died due to a rupture in his heart.”

The final autopsy result will come after the NFS conducts additional examinations including checking for drug or medication use and his blood alcohol content, and testing his DNA, Choi said.

The agency plans to present the final postmortem examination results as soon as possible given the gravity of the incident that observers worried could cause diplomatic friction between the two countries if not handled properly, officials said.

The 44-year-old man died last Tuesday after a Korea Coast Guard officer fired a rubber bullet as he violently resisted confrontation over his boat’s illegal operation in the Korean-controlled waters.

The prosecution initially planned to conduct the autopsy last Thursday, but it was deferred to Friday as his relative on the same boat opposed it. The autopsy was delayed once again as his wife wanted to attend it.

Following the accident, Beijing lodged a complaint against Seoul’s Foreign Ministry over what it calls the “violent enforcement of the law.” Seoul maintains that his death was an accident that came during a legitimate law enforcement process.

Korea’s maritime police have vowed to continue to sternly deal with any Chinese fishermen illegally operating in the country’s territorial waters in due accordance with the domestic law.

The authorities have arrested 10 Chinese fishermen on the same boat on charges of obstructing public duties and another man on a smaller one attached to the mother boat for violating the exclusive economic zone-related law.

(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)