April 23, 2025
SEOUL – South Korea and China will discuss structures unilaterally built by Chinese authorities in their jointly managed maritime zone in the West Sea during a meeting in Seoul on Wednesday, as the issue has recently drawn renewed attention in Seoul.
The structures installed by China in the Provisional Measures Zone without prior consultation with South Korea will be one of the key agenda items at the third meeting of the Korea-China Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation in Seoul, according to diplomatic sources.
The exclusive economic zones, extending 200 nautical miles from a country’s coastline, of South Korea and China overlap in the West Sea. Therefore, the two countries agreed in 2000 to establish the PMZ without formally settling the exact maritime boundary in order to prevent disputes and manage resources cooperatively.
This year’s meeting will be led by Kang Young-shin, director general for Northeast and Central Asian affairs at the South Korean Foreign Ministry, and Hong Liang, director general of the department of boundary and ocean affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Such meetings were held in April 2021 and June 2022 in the form of videoconferences, with the participation of relevant government agencies from both countries, including South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries; Ministry of National Defense; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; and the Korea Coast Guard.
This year marks the first-ever in-person meeting of the Korea-China Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation since its initiation, in accordance with the agreement reached at the bilateral foreign ministerial meeting in December 2019.
With the Korea-China Fisheries Agreement of 2000, which came into force in 2001, exploitation of resources is prohibited in the PMZ, and fishing is available for mutual regulation.
However, since the agreement does not have a provision against the installation of structures, it is difficult to approach the issue under international law.
The South Korean government has determined that it cannot rule out the potential for the structures to ultimately be used for more than aquaculture, in light of China’s past behavior in the South China Sea, including the construction of artificial islands and the consequent territorial conflicts with countries such as Vietnam.
South Korea’s Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung on Monday said the Korean government has been considering measures with a whole-of-government approach on how to respond to China-built structures during a televised briefing.
“We are looking at a wide range of possible responses, and our consultations with the fiscal authorities are still ongoing. We are still in consultation, and once there is a clearer idea of what kind of structures and at what level would be appropriate, we will move forward quickly in consultation with the fiscal authorities,” Kang said.
“In short, I would just like to emphasize that we are considering all possible options, including proportionate countermeasures, and that the government will respond in a coordinated manner.”
Kang also explained that the exact details of the structures constructed by China have not yet been confirmed. Kang further stated that in March 2022, a South Korean fisheries patrol vessel initially detected the structure, which resembles a fortified offshore oil drilling platform, and immediately reported it to the diplomatic authorities.
“I would like to stress that we have been lodging strong protests through our diplomatic authorities (since then),” Kang said.
The South Korean government has been mulling over taking proactive countermeasures as the issue has recently drawn blistering criticism from the People Power Party and local media outlets mostly with right-wing tendencies.
The People Power Party issued a statement Sunday to urge a “clear explanation from China” on the matter, calling on China to “respond responsibly in line with international norms.”
Rep. Jung Hee-yong of the People Power Party on April 10 proposed a resolution urging China to dismantle the structures in the West Sea.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, the People Power Party’s floor leader, on Tuesday denounced China for unilaterally installing the structures in the West Sea during the party’s meeting at the National Assembly, labeling China’s action as “a violation of the Korea-China Fisheries Agreement, which prohibits activities other than fishing.”
“China’s method of installing the structure is similar to its tactic of creating artificial islands in the South China Sea,” Kweon said.
Kweon also pointed a finger at Lee Jae-myung, the former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and the party’s front-runner for the upcoming snap presidential election on June 3, saying, “China is taking South Korea lightly because Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party have consistently maintained a pro-China, submissive stance.”