South Korea fired on Chinese boats illegally in its waters

South Korea's coast guard opened fire at Chinese boats illegally fishing within its territorial waters on Tuesday, the Korea Times reports.

No one was hurt and nothing was damaged after the coast guard vessel fired it's M60 into the sky as the boats fled, despite being ordered to stop.

South Korea has been cracking down on illegal fishing by Chinese vessels in its water, and even confiscated a Chinese ship after its crew took up arms against the Koreans, Yonhap News reports.

These incidents between Chinese ships and coast guards of other nations is far from isolated. The Center for Strategic and International Studies Bonnie Glaser previously told Business Insider that China wields it's coast guard as a kind of "second navy."

Additional reports point out that China uses its fishing fleet to muscle other countries out of important waterways. In March, Indonesia apprehended several Chinese sailors who were illegally fishing in Indonesian waters; however, China claimed that the sailors were still within Chinese territory.

In the past, Chinese fishing vessels have rammed South Korean coast guard ships, sinking at least one.

China has repeatedly shown total disregard for international laws and norms throughout East and South Asia, including claiming ownership of the South China Sea based on ancient and unofficial maps.

South Korea has taken a hard stance against China, but a scandal has consumed the country lately, with the president accused of being a puppet for a "shamanistic cult."