China has installed a large structure in the Provisional Measures Zone of the West Sea (Yellow Sea), a disputed area where the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of South Korea and China overlap, South Korean officials said Jan. 9. The zone, considered a sensitive region, prohibits activities such as facility construction or resource development, except for fishing. Observers believe the move signals Beijing’s intent to strengthen future territorial claims, taking advantage of South Korea’s political turmoil following recent martial law declarations.
South Korea’s intelligence agencies detected the structure last month using reconnaissance satellites. The installation, a mobile steel framework exceeding 50 meters in diameter and height, was spotted in the disputed waters. In April and May 2024, China installed two similar structures nearby, prompting South Korea to lodge formal protests. The latest installation suggests Beijing has resumed these activities after a temporary halt.
China has reportedly described the structures as “fishing support facilities,” dismissing concerns. However, experts warn that continued installations could enable Beijing to assert territorial claims over the area. South Korean officials believe China plans to install up to 12 such structures.
Diplomatic negotiations between the two nations on boundary delimitation have made little progress despite annual talks. Analysts argue that China’s actions are part of a larger strategy to establish control over the West Sea, which Beijing regards as its “backyard.” In 2010, China declared the area part of its “internal waters” and has steadily escalated its territorial claims since then.
China has a history of constructing such structures in the zone and removing them only after South Korean protests. In April 2022, shortly before President Yoon Suk-yeol took office, China’s installations in the West Sea sparked a diplomatic dispute.
“China is not only installing structures but also conducting military exercises in the region, signaling its ambitions to establish effective control over the West Sea,” said Lee Dong-gyu, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. “These actions aim to gain leverage in future negotiations with South Korea.”
After detecting similar installations last year, South Korea’s National Security Council discussed countermeasures at the presidential level. However, diplomatic sources have expressed concern that the country’s current political instability may hinder timely responses to such provocations.
Experts point to the South China Sea as a cautionary example, where territorial disputes have escalated into military confrontations. Since 2013, China has constructed seven artificial islands in the South China Sea, initially starting with unauthorized structures like those in the West Sea. By 2022, these islands were transformed into military bases with missiles and fighter jets.
In the East China Sea, China has also installed gas exploration platforms and buoys, triggering conflicts with Japan. Meanwhile, incidents of Chinese military vessels entering South Korea’s EEZ or crossing provisional boundaries in the West Sea have increased. According to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, Chinese military vessels appeared near the Korean Peninsula over 900 times between 2016 and 2019.
