The South Korean government on Apr. 24 called on China to relocate three maritime structures recently installed in the Yellow Sea, warning they could “physically obstruct the navigation of South Korean fishing vessels and naval ships.” Seoul demanded the installations be moved outside the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ).
Beijing, however, reportedly rejected the demand, arguing the facilities were aquaculture sites established by a private operator and therefore not in violation of any agreements. Chinese officials are also said to have invited South Korea to “come and see for themselves,” according to diplomatic sources.
While China has resisted removing the structures, it has reportedly signaled that no further installations will be added—for now—amid growing domestic backlash in South Korea, including bipartisan calls in the National Assembly for a stronger response.
The issue was addressed during the third meeting of the Korea-China Maritime Affairs Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism, held in Seoul on Apr. 23. It marked the first director-general-level talks on maritime matters between the two countries since 2022.
Kang Young-shin, director-general for Northeast and Central Asian affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and South Korea’s lead representative, conveyed Seoul’s strong concerns. He emphasized that “South Korea’s legitimate and lawful maritime rights must not be infringed upon,” and formally protested the installation of three large structures in the PMZ—one in May 2024 and two others later—despite repeated objections from Seoul. Kang also condemned China’s interference with a South Korean maritime research vessel in February, when Beijing blocked a planned site inspection.
The PMZ, a disputed area where the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of South Korea and China overlap, is considered highly sensitive. Both countries have agreed to defer boundary demarcation claims in the zone. While fishing is permitted, existing agreements prohibit the construction of fixed structures and resource development activities such as oil drilling.
Nevertheless, China erected three large steel-frame structures along the western edge of the PMZ, describing them as salmon farming and aquaculture management facilities. A senior South Korean government source said the structures appear to have been intentionally positioned to straddle the boundary, interpreting the move as a calculated effort by Beijing to test Seoul’s response and gradually expand its maritime influence in the area.
China maintains that the installations do not violate any bilateral agreements. During a regular press briefing on Apr. 21, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the structures were consistent with the Korea-China Fisheries Agreement and urged Seoul to adopt a “rational and objective” stance.
At the Apr. 23 meeting, Hong Liang, director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and head of the Chinese delegation, said the structures were “entirely for aquaculture purposes” and unrelated to territorial claims or maritime boundary disputes. He also offered to allow South Korean authorities to inspect the installations directly.
According to South Korean officials, China explained for the first time that two of the installations—Sheonran No. 1 and No. 2—are floating fish farms, while the third, resembling a decommissioned drilling platform, has been repurposed as an aquaculture management facility. While the management platform is fixed to the seabed using steel legs, Chinese officials reportedly said it is not permanently anchored.
China installed the fixed structure in 2022 without prior consultation or notification, and this marked the first time Beijing had officially briefed South Korea on the matter.
Although Chinese officials reportedly told their South Korean counterparts that no additional facilities would be constructed, the joint press release issued after the talks did not include any such statement. A former South Korean vice foreign minister said China appeared to be responding to intensifying anti-China sentiment in South Korea and may have offered a temporary concession to ease tensions. A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said both sides “agree that this issue should not hinder the overall trajectory of bilateral relations” and pledged to “maintain dialogue through all available channels.”
The dispute has also drawn international attention. On Apr. 23, the U.S. Department of State criticized China’s maritime behavior, saying its “decades-long refusal to abide by international law, including the freedom of navigation, has destabilized the region.” Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun also weighed in, describing China’s use of maritime structures to assert territorial claims as a “typical tactic” and warning that Beijing may now be attempting to alter the status quo in the Yellow Sea. The newspaper cited precedents in the South China Sea, where China constructed artificial islands with airstrips and residential facilities to strengthen de facto control, as well as the East China Sea, where it installed gas extraction platforms and buoys that have sparked tensions with Japan.
