On the 27th, our government held a joint meeting of related ministries to discuss countermeasures regarding the controversy over China's placement of structures in the Temporary Maritime Zone (PMZ) and the establishment of navigation prohibitions in the West Sea for military training purposes.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a meeting of relevant ministries to address the West Sea issue was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices, chaired by Director Kang Young-shin of the Northeast and Central Asia Bureau.
The meeting included officials from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Ministry of National Defense, and discussed issues related to the West Sea, including China's recent unilateral actions in overlapping waters.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted, "The government plans to actively respond to ensure that our legitimate rights and interests are not infringed upon while closely monitoring developments in the middle of the West Sea in close cooperation with relevant ministries."
Earlier, China issued a navigational warning for military training purposes from 1 a.m. on the 22nd to 1 a.m. on the 28th for three areas overlapping with its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) within the PMZ.
The PMZ is an area in the West Sea where the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Korea and China overlap, and its maritime boundaries have not yet been defined.
However, China has recently claimed that it is establishing unidentifiable structures, including two steel structures and other facilities under the guise of "management assistance" within the PMZ.