A South Korean government official said Wednesday that Seoul is willing to conduct a joint investigation with Beijing into Saturday's sinking of a Chinese fishing boat, in which one Chinese crewman drowned, AFP reported.

Three crewmembers remained detained Wednesday by South Korean authorities.

"We have no intention of letting this case turn into a diplomatic issue. We want to resolve it through close consultations with the Chinese government," the official said.

Another unidentified official from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AFP that investigations are underway to determine what happened.

"The issue is being resolved properly between two countries," Wang Gang, a Seoul correspondent for the China-based Legal Daily newspaper, told the Global Times after consulting with the Chinese embassy in South Korea.

"Three crewmembers are still in South Korea and being treated well," the official was quoted as saying. "The police told the embassy that this is not a so-called arrest. They just need them to carry out the investigation."

South Korean media are still commenting on the suspected legality of the actions of the Chinese fishing boat crew.

The Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday that "South Korea was legitimately enforcing a law on suspected illegal fishing when the Chinese fishing boat sank."

The Korea Herald also reported that the Chinese crew's fishing activities were illegal. The report said "South Korea claims its coast guard has the right to chase the boat that had been illegally operating in its exclusive economic zone."

Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Tuesday that Beijing has lodged solemn representations with Seoul, urging it to "punish perpetrators to the full extent of law and compensate for casualties and loss of property on the Chinese side."

According to South Korea's Munhwa Ilbo, or the Culture Daily, Suh Jin-young, an emeritus professor at Korea University, said, "We have sufficient evidences on the issue; China's demand is unreasonable."

"Diplomatic relations with China are highly valued for South Korea, especially amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula," said Cai Jian, vice director of the Center for Korean Studies at Fudan University.

Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office, always "shows consideration for the overall situation. The South Korean government will not let the incident affect diplomacy," Cai added.

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