South Korea installs platform to monitor Chinese presence in disputed sea

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea has set up a “reciprocal” platform in a disputed area of the Yellow Sea, known in Seoul as the West Sea, where China has increasingly built structures, Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung said on Wednesday.

China says its structures are fish farming equipment, but they have raised alarm bells in Seoul over concerns Beijing could be seeking to stake claims in the Provisional Maritime Zone, where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones overlap.

Kang told parliament that South Korea is monitoring the Chinese presence by setting up a stationary floating platform for “environmental survey“.

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Chinese embassy: Steel structures in Yellow Sea comply with law

China’s actions are fully consistent with both domestic and international law, the spokesperson said, adding that they also do not violate the China-South Korea fisheries agreement, and will not affect South Korea’s rights under the agreement.

In addition, China has implemented strict environmental protection and safety measures for the deep-sea aquaculture facilities to ensure that they will have no impact on the marine environment and navigational safety.

Noting that China has already announced the installation of the facilities publicly, the spokesperson, citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the situation in the Yellow Sea is stable at the moment, and China and South Korea maintain sound communication through the dialogue and cooperation mechanism of maritime affairs.