The Chinese government said Tuesday it regrets the death of a South Korean coast guard officer allegedly stabbed to death by a Chinese fisherman.
The statement from China's foreign ministry comes amid rising public anger in South Korea over the incident, which happened Monday during an operation to stop a vessel illegally fishing off the Korean peninsula.
More than 100 South Korean military veterans and activists protested in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul on Tuesday to denounce Beijing for the killing. During the demonstration, a South Korean protester slammed his car several times into a police vehicle guarding the Chinese embassy.
Earlier Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak promised "strong countermeasures" to protect coast guard officers who are cracking down on increasingly bold incursions by Chinese fishermen.
South Korea's foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Chinese ambassador in protest over the incident.