갈등 원인
The conflict arose when the large trawler industry from Busan and the South Sea coast demanded the lifting of the fishing ban east of 128 degrees longitude, a measure established in 1976 following the 1965 Korea-Japan Fisheries Agreement. This demand intensified after 1994 when the establishment of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) made fishing in Japanese waters impossible for large trawlers. The city of Busan supported this request and submitted it to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, leading to strong opposition from East Sea fishermen who feared their livelihoods would be severely threatened.