Overview

• South Korea and China are set to hold maritime talks in Seoul on April 23 to address tensions over Chinese steel structures in the Yellow Sea's Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ).
• China has installed a fixed steel platform and semi-submersible buoys in the PMZ, which South Korea claims breach a bilateral agreement allowing only fishing and navigation activities.
• Seoul confirmed the presence of the fixed structure, resembling a repurposed oil rig, after a failed inspection attempt in February 2025, when Chinese crew members repelled South Korean officials.
• South Korea is reviewing proportional responses, including constructing its own aquaculture facility, while urging China to adhere to the PMZ agreement and ensure transparency.
• China defends the installations as fishery management facilities, but critics liken the actions to its broader maritime expansionism seen in the South China Sea.