President Lee: "Some Chinese West Sea Structures to Be Relocated... Agreement to Demarcate Joint Waters"

On January 7 (local time), President Lee Jae-myung stated regarding the illegal structures installed by China in the West Sea, "There are aquaculture facilities, and there are also management facilities. As for the management facilities, China said, 'We will withdraw,' so they will likely be relocated."

President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to China, is answering questions at a luncheon meeting with the press corps held at a hotel in Shanghai on January 7, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

During his state visit to China, President Lee held a luncheon meeting with the press corps in Shanghai and said, "Since the location of the structures keeps becoming a point of controversy, from our side, we decided to draw a line in the middle and tell them, 'You can use everything freely within that area.' We agreed to handle this matter at the working level," he explained.

The large steel structures installed by China in the West Sea were first discovered by the South Korean Navy in March 2020, sparking controversy. The actual installation is believed to have taken place around 2018. While the Chinese side claims these are 'simple aquaculture facilities,' there have been significant security concerns that, given the overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the two countries, China may be attempting to exert influence over future maritime boundary delimitation.

President Lee also appeared to emphasize his awareness of these controversies and his intention to clarify the maritime boundary delimitation. He said, "There are people making strange claims, saying that we have handed over the West Sea," adding, "I suggested that we settle the issue of demarcating the joint waters clearly, and we agreed to hold working-level consultations on how to proceed."

In relation to this, Kang Yoo-jung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, stated, "Regarding the issue of the West Sea structures, President Lee and President Xi Jinping discussed the matter both during the previous meeting in Gyeongju and this time in Beijing, and President Xi was fully aware of the issue." She added, "However, as is customary between heads of state, the discussions were about the overall direction in broad terms, and President Xi did not make comments on the details. Based on the consensus at the broader level, both sides have agreed to continue constructive working-level consultations, and we hope that these talks will proceed smoothly and achieve progress."