Published on September 20, 2019.
Based on a Sankei Shimbun editorial, this chapter discusses an incident near Yamato Bank, within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, where a vessel believed to be a North Korean official boat threatened a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel with a rifle.
It addresses illegal operations by North Korean fishing boats, the safety of Japan Coast Guard and Fisheries Agency officers, possible responses including warning shots, and the Japanese government’s delay in disclosing information.

September 20, 2019.
The government did not make it public for more than half a month.
Where is there any reason to hesitate over this?
The government should recognize that only with proper disclosure of information will public understanding of enforcement deepen.
The following is from today’s Sankei Shimbun editorial, “Shucho.”
North Korean official boat threatens with rifle.
Lawlessness will not stop through protest alone.
A vessel believed to be a North Korean official boat threatened a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel engaged in surveillance activities by pointing a rifle at it around Yamato Bank, a rich fishing ground in the Sea of Japan located within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, or EEZ.
The Japanese government lodged a strong protest with North Korea through its embassy route in Beijing.
This is a sea area where illegal operations by North Korean fishing boats have become serious.
Two years ago as well, a Fisheries Agency enforcement vessel had a gun barrel pointed at it by a vessel believed to be North Korean-registered.
We should now regard it as impossible to prevent recurrence by protest and water cannon alone.
For the sake of ensuring the safety of Japan Coast Guard and Fisheries Agency enforcement officers as well, a response including warning shots would be required against threats made with weapons.
Just at this time, the Federal Security Service in Russia’s Far Eastern Primorsky region announced one after another that it had seized North Korean fishing boats illegally operating in Russia’s EEZ in the Sea of Japan.
Many fishermen were also detained.
Japan, too, must deal resolutely with lawlessness.
On August 24, off the Noto Peninsula, a boat believed to be a North Korean official boat approached a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel, and a crew member in camouflage clothing pointed a rifle at it.
The boat was flying a flag resembling that of the North Korean navy.
It was probably an overt show of force using weapons by the North Korean military.
Because the Fisheries Agency judged it dangerous, since it was a type of vessel not usually seen, it called on a Japanese squid-fishing fleet operating nearby to withdraw in order to ensure safety.
Even though it was within Japan’s EEZ, the Japanese fishing fleet withdrew, while North Korean fishing boats, protected by armed vessels, carried out illegal operations as they pleased.
This is an abnormal situation that a sovereign state cannot overlook.
At Yamato Bank in recent years, many North Korean fishing boats have repeatedly resisted Japanese enforcement with acts such as throwing stones.
From October to November last year, there was also an incident in which a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel was struck by a large North Korean steel vessel and damaged.
Wrecked small boats have continued to drift ashore, and it is also believed that there are missing persons.
Not all of them are necessarily fishermen.
It is only natural that vigilance should be strengthened.
The Japan Coast Guard is strengthening enforcement in cooperation with the Fisheries Agency, and last season it warned a total of about 6,900 vessels and used water cannon against about 2,600 vessels.
Furthermore, it should not hesitate to carry out compulsory investigations based on domestic law, such as building cases for obstruction of official duties in flagrante delicto.
What is regrettable is that the government did not make this incident public for more than half a month until it was reported.
Where is there any reason to hesitate over this?
The government should recognize that only with proper disclosure of information will public understanding of enforcement deepen.