China has installed a new structure in sensitive waters near a disputed maritime boundary with South Korea, sparking fears that Beijing may exploit Seoul’s ongoing political crisis to assert territorial claims.

Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry and South Korean Coast Guard with emailed requests for comment.

Why It Matters

The area in question lies within the Provisional Measures Zone, established in 2001 to manage disputes over overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) between the two countries. The agreement prohibits constructing facilities or exploiting resources other than fishing, pending a permanent boundary resolution.

South Korea has long raised concerns about Chinese fishing vessels operating illegally within its EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from its coastline and grants sole rights to natural resources.

China’s latest move follows its assertive activities in other regional EEZs, including the waters of Japan and U.S. ally the Philippines, raising broader tensions in the region.

What To Know

South Korean intelligence observed the Chinese structure—over 50 meters (164 feet) tall and wide—via reconnaissance satellites, according to officials cited by Chosun. It follows the installation of similar structures in April and May 2024, which prompted protests from Seoul. At the time, China claimed the structures were “fishing support facilities.”

South Korean officials warned that Beijing could build as many as a dozen additional installations in the area.

The South Korean government under now-impeached Yoon Suk-yeol were sufficiently concerned they discussed potential responses after the structures appeared last spring, the Chosun wrote.

Yoon is now resisting arrest over his initiative of a brief martial law period that rocked the East Asian democracy.

What People Are Saying

Lee Dong-gyu, research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told Chosun: “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. These actions aim to gain leverage in future negotiations with South Korea.”

What’s Next?

Though the Yellow Sea dispute has been relatively quiet compared to its feud with the Philippines, some analysts see the potential for China stepping up its presence if tensions escalate with the U.S. treaty partner.

“Given China’s recent firm and uncompromising stance on maritime sovereignty and rights, it is unclear what offensive actions China will take against Korea in the future,” wrote Chungjin Jung, a Republic of Korea Air Force lieutenant colonel and visiting scholar at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, in a 2021 analysis.