Almost two dozen Chinese vessels were fishing in South Korean waters adjacent to the contested Northern Limit Line that separates the seas of the two Koreas last Wednesday, NK News observed during a visit to the remote island of Yeonpyeong-do last week.

But while the presence of Chinese vessels just a stone’s-throw from South Korean shores is in breach of international law, local coast guard appeared to be doing little to stop it.

“The encroachment by these boats was pretty brazen – some were just 50 meters or so off the beach,” said Andray Abrahamian, a professor at George Mason