This report summarizes the krill fishing activities conducted by Korean-flagged vessels within the CCAMLR Convention Area from 2020 to 2024, with a particular focus on fishing effort, spatial and temporal patterns, catch per unit effort (CPUE), and the composition of non-target species (bycatch). A total of 14,460 hauls were recorded during this period, yielding annual krill catches ranging from 15,091 to 44,567 tonnes. Monthly catch and CPUE trends exhibited substantial interannual variation, influenced by fleet size, operational strategies, and environmental conditions. Fishing activities were concentrated in Subareas 48.1 and 48.2, particularly in Small-Scale Management Units (SSMUs) such as the Bransfield Strait and South Orkney sectors, while limited operations occurred in Subarea 48.3. Korean operations largely complied with voluntary conservation measures, avoiding hauls in designated Voluntary Restricted Zones (VRZs) in accordance with their seasonal closure periods.
Between 2022 and 2024, scientific observers collected finfish specimens to support a bycatch identification study. A total of 36 finfish species were identified across six taxonomic orders and eight families, with dominant representation from Nototheniidae, Channichthyidae, Myctophidae, and Bathydraconidae. Detailed morphological and molecular analyses were conducted, and a field guide was produced to support bycatch identification onboard. A focused examination of Channichthyidae (icefishes) was also included, resulting in descriptions of eight species across developmental stages, documented in a separate report to CCAMLR. These findings are expected to improve the accuracy of bycatch species reporting, enhance future monitoring efforts, and support assessments of ecosystem impacts associated with krill trawl fisheries.