South Korea expressed concern over Chinese structure in disputed area of sea
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Seoul was mulling its response, including proportional countermeasures.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
SEOUL – South Korea has expressed “deep concern” over China erecting a sea structure off the west coast of the Korean peninsula, its foreign ministry in Seoul said on April 24.
The South Korean government’s concerns were conveyed to Chinese officials during a maritime dialogue between the two countries in Seoul on April 23.
During the meeting, the Chinese side had explained that the structure was fish-farming equipment and had nothing to do with territorial rights, the South Korean foreign ministry said.
The structure in a disputed area of the Yellow Sea, known in South Korea as the West Sea, has raised alarm bells in Seoul over concerns that China could be seeking to stake claims in the Provisional Maritime Zone, where the countries’ exclusive economic zones overlap.
Both sides agreed to continue communication and with the understanding that the issue should not hinder bilateral relations, the ministry said.
China and South Korea agreed to continue strengthening communication and properly manage maritime differences, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.
In its statement, the South Korean foreign ministry said: “Through diplomatic channels at various levels, it was decided to closely discuss the stable management of the maritime order in the West Sea and the expansion and deepening of tangible cooperation.”
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul told a parliamentary committee on April 23 that Seoul was considering its response, including proportional countermeasures.
“The structure is within both Chinese and international law and does not violate the China-South Korea fisheries agreement,” the Chinese embassy in Seoul said in March.
The bilateral meeting on maritime cooperation on April 23 was attended by officials from the foreign ministries of both countries alongside other officials.
South Korea’s Deputy Director-General for Northeast Asian Affairs Kang Young-shin and China’s Director-General for Boundary and Ocean Affairs Hong Liang represented each side, according to Seoul’s ministry. REUTERS
