South Korea and China Discuss 'West Sea Structures' at Maritime Cooperation Dialogue

On April 23, South Korea and China held the "3rd Maritime Cooperation Dialogue" in Seoul and discussed the issue of structures that China has unilaterally installed in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) of the West Sea.

The meeting was attended by Kang Youngshin, Director-General for Northeast Asian and Central Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, and Hong Liang, Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, as the chief representatives of each country. The South Korean government is believed to have raised the issue of China's unilateral installation of structures and urged restraint.

The PMZ was established as part of the 2000 Korea-China Fisheries Agreement to mediate fishing disputes while the two countries were negotiating maritime boundaries in the West Sea. China has installed suspicious structures in the intermediate waters that were agreed upon by both countries. In February, when South Korea conducted an inspection of the structures, China intervened to block it, resulting in a standoff between the maritime police of both sides.

Cho Tae-yul, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated at a National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee meeting that afternoon, "The issue of the structures in the West Sea is being discussed at the Maritime Cooperation Dialogue," adding, "I understand that the working-level directors are also discussing more technical matters." Minister Cho further explained, "The government's position is to review effective alternatives, including proportional response measures," and said, "We will consider whether the installation of the structures is economically beneficial, whether it is the most appropriate method to achieve our objectives, and all other relevant factors before making a decision after internal review."