Old S.Korea killing case falsely presented as recent

"Article posted on foreign media but not in domestic newspapers," reads a Facebook post shared on August 18, 2025.

It includes the screenshot of a report from The Guardian about a South Korean coastguard officer stabbed to death while seizing a Chinese boat, which the user claims was published just days prior.

"Who is stopping this reporting for whose benefit? Can we really call a country seized by spies an independent nation?" the caption continues.

The claim surfaced after far-right commentator Grant Newsham reposted a screenshot of the article on X, presenting it as a recent story. The original post he shared omitted the article's publication date (archived here and here). 

Seoul has long struggled to crack down on illegal fishing by Chinese ships in its waters, recently signing an agreement with Beijing to step up joint efforts to contain the activities (archived link).

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured August 18, 2025. Red X added by AFP

Similar claims were shared in Facebook groups frequented by conservative users, as well as on Ilbe, a far-right forum.

Users attacked China and the South Korean media in comments left in the posts.

"These trash journalists are all in the pockets of China, afraid to tell the truth," one user wrote. Another said: "China is now trying to control our eyes and ears as well."

But a keyword search on Google found The Guardian published the report on December 12, 2011 (archived link).

It reported Lee Cheong-ho, a 41-year-old coastguard officer, was fatally stabbed while boarding a Chinese trawler suspected of illegal fishing near Socheong Island in the Yellow Sea. 

Another officer was injured in the clash, and Seoul lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing.

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Screenshot of the report from The Guardian, with publication date highlighted

AFP also reported on the incident at the time, noting it was the second case in four years that a South Korean coast guard officer died in the line of duty (archived link).

Contrary to the false claim, South Korean media reported on the incident widely at the time. 

Broadcaster KBS and the government-run KTV reported the killing the same day, while nearly all major newspapers -- including the Dong-A Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun -- carried detailed accounts of the operation and its aftermath (archived here, here, here and here). 

AFP later reported in April 2012 that the Chinese fisherman responsible for stabbing Lee received a 30-year jail sentence in South Korea, and the case was also covered extensively by local media including the JoongAng Ilbo and Hankyoreh (archived here, here and here). 

Separate searches found no evidence of any similar incident in 2025.

AFP previously debunked similar claims stemming from anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea.