Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tae-young expressed sympathy for a dead Chinese fisherman who was shot by a rubber bullet during a raid by the South Korean Coast Guard.

Spokesman Cho said in a regular press briefing that he feels sorry for the incident regardless of who should take responsibility, saying that the two countries must deal with the issue in an objective manner based on the facts.

Cho said that the two nations’ relations should not be strained due to a contingence in the process of executing the law. He added that he hopes China will cooperate in coming up with measures aimed at preventing such an incident from reoccuring.