South Korea is closely monitoring additional observation buoys installed by China near overlapping waters between the two countries, the foreign ministry said Monday, citing concerns they could be used for military purposes.
The South Korean Navy recently detected three new buoys installed in May 2023 in international waters near the Provisional Maritime Zone, an area where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap.
One of the three buoys is located inside the PMZ.
"The government is closely monitoring the related situation ... while remaining open to various possibilities, including the potential military surveillance purpose of the buoys," a ministry official said.
The official vowed to take necessary measures, including a "proportional" response to China, adding that Seoul has also installed its own buoys in nearby waters as part of such responses.
Since 2018, China had installed 10 observation buoys in and around the Yellow Sea PMZ, each approximately 3 meters wide and 6 meters tall. With the latest additions, the total number of Chinese buoys confirmed in the area now stands at 13.
While China claims the buoys are for maritime and meteorological observation, concerns persist that they may serve military purposes, such as detecting South Korean naval vessels or submarines, or that they could be used in future EEZ boundary negotiations.
Tensions between Seoul and Beijing have escalated over the maritime zone, which allows joint management of marine resources and prohibits activities beyond navigation and fishing.
China raised further concerns by installing a fixed steel structure within the zone in 2022.
