Seoul: South Korea on Tuesday described China's decision to dismantle one of the disputed steel structures in the overlapping waters of the Yellow Sea as "meaningful progress," signaling a potential advance in bilateral relations between the two nations. The foreign ministry's statement followed Beijing's announcement that efforts were underway to remove part of the three steel installations located in the contested sea zone where both countries' exclusive economic zones (EEZs) intersect.
According to Yonhap News Agency, China had erected two semi-submersible buoys in 2018 and 2024, along with a fixed steel platform in 2022, within the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ). The presence of these structures has been a point of contention, with Seoul perceiving them as Beijing's attempt to establish groundwork for future territorial claims. Kang Young-shin, director general for Northeast and Central Asia affairs, expressed that ongoing negotiations with China, rooted in South Korea's consistent stance against unilateral installations in the PMZ, have led to this significant development.
Kang stated, "The measure can be seen as a change that would help advance South Korea-China relations." Another official from the ministry indicated that China would begin moving the management platform out of the PMZ starting at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, with the operation expected to conclude by Saturday, as per the notice from China's maritime authorities.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed that a Chinese company was executing the removal, noting it as an autonomous operation aligned with its management and development objectives. The PMZ had been established as a temporary measure to facilitate safe fishing operations and joint marine resource management, while restricting activities beyond navigation and fishing.
South Korea had contended that China's installation of the steel structures contradicted these collaborative efforts. The recent decision follows summit talks in Beijing between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which it was anticipated that China would remove one of the three steel platforms from the Yellow Sea.
The removal comes after both countries reportedly agreed that the management platform should be the first to be dismantled amid concerns in Seoul about its potential alternative uses. The platform, which China claims serves as a management facility for a fish farm, is thought to be a repurposed decommissioned oil rig.