More than two months after a Chinese fishing vessel crewman died while being detained and transferred by the South Korean Coast Guard, his family has travelled to South Korea to seek an explanation.

At the centre of the dispute are whether South Korean officers promptly recognised the crewman’s abnormal condition, whether they received repeated requests for medical assistance from his shipmates, and whether they fulfilled their duty to protect him and provide necessary medical care.

The deceased was identified as 43-year-old Qin Shuaike, a native of Pingdingshan, Henan Province. An autopsy conducted in South Korea determined that he died from “acute alcohol poisoning”.

South Korean authorities have stressed that emergency treatment and medical transportation were provided, maintaining that Qin’s heavy alcohol consumption was the principal cause of death. His shipmates and family, however, allege that the crew asked South Korean officers for help at least six times but did not receive a timely response.

Two Chinese Fishing Vessels Detained, One Crewman Later Dies

The incident occurred on the evening of May 8, 2026.

According to information released at the time by the South Korean Coast Guard, two Chinese fishing vessels were accused of crossing what South Korea calls the Northern Limit Line near Baengnyeong Island, Incheon, and fishing in the surrounding waters.

The South Korean Coast Guard and Navy conducted a joint operation and detained the two vessels approximately 14.8 kilometres northwest of Baengnyeong Island.

South Korean authorities said the vessels had crossed the line by up to approximately three kilometres. The vessels and their crews were subsequently escorted to a dedicated Coast Guard pier in Incheon for investigation.

During the transfer, a Chinese crewman in his 40s was found to have abnormal breathing and impaired consciousness. South Korean Coast Guard personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and transported him to hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

In its initial statement, the Coast Guard identified the deceased only as a Chinese man in his 40s and said other crew members had reported that he had consumed a large quantity of alcohol.

South Korean authorities later commissioned the National Forensic Service to conduct an autopsy and notified the relevant Chinese consular authorities of the death.

Subsequent reports identified the deceased as Qin Shuaike. There were 10 crew members aboard his fishing vessel.

Before South Korean officers boarded the vessel, Qin and several shipmates had reportedly been eating and drinking at the stern. Fellow crewman Li Yongbin said Qin consumed more than two bottles of 42% alcohol that evening, substantially more than he would normally drink.

More Than Four Hours Between Detention and Discovery of Death

Autopsy documents obtained by Qin’s family state that the fishing vessel was detained by the South Korean Coast Guard at approximately 8:32 p.m. on May 8.

According to the documents, Qin fell asleep on the aft deck after drinking. At around 10:30 p.m., he was still believed to be sleeping and was transferred by stretcher to South Korean Coast Guard patrol vessel No. 501, where he was placed in the vessel’s dining area.

At approximately 12:44 a.m. on May 9, Qin was found to be dead or without vital signs.

The autopsy did not identify any other underlying medical condition that could directly explain his death. The final cause of death was recorded as acute alcohol poisoning.

Approximately four hours and 12 minutes passed between the Coast Guard boarding and detaining the vessel at 8:32 p.m. and Qin being found without signs of life at 12:44 a.m. More than two hours had elapsed since he was transferred to the Coast Guard vessel at around 10:30 p.m.

This timeline has become the principal basis for the family’s questions about whether medical assistance was initiated promptly.

The family argues that even if Qin’s heavy drinking was a major factor in his death, South Korean officers had a responsibility to monitor his physical condition after taking control of the vessel and its crew.

They maintain that medical assistance should have been initiated as soon as he displayed signs such as unconsciousness or a failure to respond when called.

Shipmates Say They Requested Help Six Times; South Korean Authorities Deny Receiving Requests

Li Yongbin said Qin remained lying flat on the deck after South Korean officers boarded the fishing vessel.

According to Li, crew members watching over Qin noticed that he did not respond when called and that they could not hear the breathing sounds normally associated with sleep. They then told South Korean officers through an interpreter that the heavily intoxicated crewman at the stern appeared to be in distress and required emergency treatment.

Li alleged that the crew alerted the Coast Guard at least six times but received no effective response.

He said one South Korean officer placed a hand near Qin’s nose to check his breathing, then placed both hands together beside his ear in a sleeping gesture, indicating to the crew that Qin was merely asleep.

The crew members were later transferred to a South Korean Coast Guard vessel for questioning, while Qin was also carried aboard on a stretcher.

Li said personnel began performing CPR only after Qin was again called and failed to respond.

On July 20, Qin’s elder brother, Qin Shuaifeng, met South Korean Coast Guard representatives in Incheon. Whether crew members had made six separate requests for medical assistance became one of the main points of disagreement during the meeting.

The South Korean Coast Guard representative denied that such requests had been received, saying that none of the Chinese crew members stated during questioning that Qin required medical treatment.

According to the South Korean account, Qin was lying at the stern under a blanket when officers boarded the fishing vessel, while other crew members said he had drunk too much and was sleeping.

The representative said officers at the scene initially believed Qin was sleeping because they lacked professional medical knowledge.

Coast Guard Says Emergency Measures Were Taken; Family Demands Access to Video Evidence

The South Korean Coast Guard representative said officers noticed abrasions on Qin’s face after he was transferred to the patrol vessel and treated the injuries.

When personnel later discovered that he was not breathing, the incident was immediately reported, according to the Coast Guard. Medical personnel aboard another vessel were asked to attend, while officers also received remote emergency-treatment guidance from a doctor through a video connection.

South Korean authorities said Qin was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital and that a medical helicopter was arranged to transfer him to a medical facility on the mainland.

On this basis, the Coast Guard maintains that multiple emergency measures were taken and that, given the limited medical facilities available at sea, there was no deliberate delay or refusal to provide treatment.

The South Korean side has also stressed that Qin reportedly consumed approximately two and a half bottles of spirits that evening and that acute alcohol poisoning was the principal cause of death.

The family argues, however, that the cause of the poisoning and the timeliness of the response are separate questions.

Even if acute alcohol poisoning was the direct cause of death, the family says this does not rule out possible failures by officers to identify Qin’s abnormal condition, assess its seriousness or initiate emergency assistance promptly.

The family has requested access to body-camera footage recorded by South Korean officers and surveillance video from the patrol vessel.

They want the footage to establish whether the crew requested assistance, when Coast Guard personnel first checked Qin’s vital signs, and precisely when CPR and medical transportation began.

South Korean Coast Guard representatives have confirmed that relevant video recordings exist. As of July 21, however, the family had not been given access to the complete footage.

Determination of Responsibility Depends on Key Evidence

Foreign affairs authorities in Henan Province previously confirmed that they were assisting the family with arrangements to travel to South Korea.

An official said the information available at the time did not indicate that the South Korean Coast Guard had used violence during the enforcement operation. Any determination of responsibility would require consideration of the autopsy report and other evidence.

South Korean lawyer Lim Doo-hyun, who was interviewed about the case, said the central legal questions are whether the Coast Guard fulfilled its duty to protect and assist Qin after taking effective control of the vessel and crew, and whether any delay in treatment can be medically and legally linked to his death.

He said that whether the case involves individual negligence or a potential claim for state compensation against the South Korean government, the autopsy findings, medical records, communications, reporting times, enforcement footage and testimony from Qin’s shipmates will all be critical evidence.

Once the Coast Guard took control of the scene, the primary duty to protect the detained crew and provide necessary assistance may, in principle, have shifted to the law-enforcement authority. However, the currently available evidence remains insufficient to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the legal responsibility of either side.

Qin Shuaike was the father of four sons. His eldest is 19 years old, while his youngest is only six.

Although South Korean authorities have issued an official finding on the medical cause of death, complete and mutually corroborating evidence has yet to be made public regarding whether clear requests for assistance were made, when emergency treatment began and whether any delay occurred.

Whether the body-camera footage, patrol-vessel surveillance video, operational communications and a complete medical-response timeline are disclosed to the family will be crucial to determining responsibility for the Chinese crewman’s death.