The Coast Guard nabbed 55 individuals in connection with an illegal whaling operation, officials confirmed on Thursday. Of them, 13 are being held by the Coast Guard, facing charges of unlawfully hunting 17 minke whales from January to June using harpoons and spears.

According to officials at the Coast Guard Station at Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, the group had used various tactics to evade capture, including stashing whale meat in underwater buoys and smuggling it to local eateries at night. They also favored smaller, less-watched harbors to carry out their activities unnoticed, while making sure to cover their boats with tents during processing to avoid detection by nearby vessels.

Following a six-month investigation, a DNA test on the group's vessel provided the key evidence that led to the bust, the Pohang Coast Guard explained.

Minke whale meat is a sought-after delicacy in southern Korea, especially in coastal cities like Ulsan and Pohang. Given its high market price, pegged at 100 million won ($75,400) per whale, illegal trading remains an issue despite a whale hunting ban.

South Korea, having joined the International Whaling Commission's 1982 global whaling ban agreement in 1985, only permits whaling for scientific research, meaning that commercial hunts like this operation are prohibited.

The sale and purchase of certain whale meat, like that of the minke whale, is only allowed if an official certificate is issued for bycatch — instances where whales are unintentionally caught and killed in nets meant for other fish. This provision has stirred concerns among anti-whaling activists that some fishers may be whaling under the guise of bycatch, opting for nets instead of harpoons to avoid any discernible wounds on the whales.