SEOUL (South Korea) - A SOUTH Korean court on Thursday handed prison terms of up to seven years to 11 Chinese fishermen who killed a South Korean coast guard officer in a maritime scuffle in September, an official said.

The fishermen were convicted of obstructing the South Korean coast guard from controlling their illicit fishing in South Korean waters and unintentionally killing one officer, said Mr Yang Kyung-jin, a Gwangju District Court official.

The court also found the Chinese fishermen guilty of violating South Korea's territorial waters and damaging a coast guard ship, Mr Yang said.

The captain of the Chinese fishing boat was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 5 million won (S$5,552), while 10 other fishermen got prison terms of 30 months to six years and fines of 2.5 million won each, Mr Yang said.

The Chinese have one week to appeal, he said.

Both a defense lawyer for the fishermen and the Chinese Embassy in Seoul were not immediately available for comment Thursday.

The Chinese government has expressed regret over the incident that also left several other South Korean coast guard officers injured.

South Korea and China signed a fisheries treaty that took effect in 2001. More than 2,600 Chinese boats have been captured for fishing illegally in Korean waters since then, according to the South Korean coast guard. -- AP