Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Korea raises concerns over Chinese structures in West Sea, Beijing calls them ‘aquaculture’
Structures unilaterally installed by China in the Provisional Measures Zone in the West Sea are seen in this photo released by Rep. Um Tae-young of the People Power Party, Thursday. From left, Sunlan No. 1, installed in 2018; Sunlan No. 2, in 2024; and a facility resembling an offshore drilling platform, reportedly set up as a management center in 2022.
Courtesy of Rep. Um Tae-young
By Bahk Eun-ji
Tensions between Korea and China flared again this week as the two sides sparred over Chinese structures installed in the West Sea during a high-level dialogue held Wednesday in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the heart of the dispute are fixed installations built by China in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), an area where the exclusive economic zones of both countries overlap in the West Sea.
Korea expressed “deep concern” over the structures, saying they could infringe upon its maritime rights and destabilize regional security.
“The government emphasized that Korea’s maritime rights and interests must not be infringed,” the ministry said in a statement.
Chinese officials, for their part, reiterated that the facilities are intended solely for marine farming and are unrelated to issues of sovereignty or maritime boundaries.
Although the two sides failed to resolve their differences during the meeting, they agreed to continue discussions through two newly established subcommittees.
One will focus on sensitive issues such as the West Sea structures and illegal fishing, while the other will oversee practical cooperation in areas including fish stock enhancement and maritime search and rescue.
The dialogue, led by Korea’s Director-General for Northeast and Central Asian Affairs Kang Young-shin and his Chinese counterpart, Hong Liang, marked the first in-person session since the talks were launched in 2019. Previous rounds in 2021 and 2022 were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kang Young-shin, left, director-general for Northeast and Central Asian affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hong Liang, director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shake hands during the third Korea-China Maritime Cooperation Dialogue in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Recognizing the risk that bilateral tensions could undermine broader diplomatic momentum, both sides stressed that the dispute should not obstruct overall cooperation.
“The two sides agreed that this issue should not become an obstacle to the development of bilateral relations and committed to maintaining communication through all available diplomatic channels,” the ministry said.
Officials also agreed to hold the next round of talks in China at a mutually convenient time and pledged to deepen cooperation in areas of shared interest, such as fisheries management, maritime safety and ocean sustainability.
The United States and Japan have voiced concern that China’s actions in the PMZ — including the installation of structures and the blocking of a Korean research vessel — could signal a broader strategic pattern.
They warned that the approach mirrors tactics seen in the South China Sea, where Beijing has used artificial structures to assert territorial claims and expand administrative control. A U.S. State Department spokesperson criticized China for “undermining international maritime law for decades,” while Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said Beijing’s actions could be an attempt to alter the status quo and justify future claims.
Domestically, the issue has garnered attention from lawmakers. On April 14, during a National Assembly interpellation session, Rep. Kim Ki-woong of the People Power Party (PPP) urged the government to take stronger action against China's installation of structures in the West Sea, calling it a potential violation of the Korea-China fisheries agreement. Additionally, the PPP convened an emergency forum in late March to address concerns over China's unilateral activities in the PMZ. Lawmakers emphasized the need for enhanced maritime surveillance and closer cooperation with like-minded countries to safeguard national interests.
Through the subcommittees, the two countries hope to shift from rhetorical standoffs to a more structured and sustained dialogue. But the success of this approach will ultimately depend on their ability to bridge the deeper divides that still remain.