Korea and China kicked off talks Tuesday to find a solution to the issue of illegal fishing by Chinese fishermen in South Korean waters.

The ninth round of bilateral talks on fisheries issues opened in Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul, following the recent capture of a Chinese fishing vessel by Korean fishermen and the Korean military's operations to repel Chinese boats.

The closed-door meeting is being led by deputy director-general level officials from the two countries' foreign ministries, with Coast Guard and fishery authorities also in attendance.

The Korean officials urged the Chinese side to draw up practical measures to root out the illegal practice, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. The source also said it is highly likely that the Korean side raised the issue of North Korea's sales of fishing rights to China.