People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo on the 2nd said, "At the South Korea–China talks, we must ensure the removal of the structures in the West Sea."
Ahn said in a Facebook post that day, "At the very start of the new year, President Lee Jae-myung and President Xi Jinping will meet," adding, "These South Korea–China talks are not a stage for tidying up after North Korea or for staging livelihood events. They are a venue for decisions that thoroughly protect Korea's security and national interest."
Ahn said, "Above all, we must, before it is too late, ensure the removal of the 16 illegal structures that China has staked out across the West Sea."
Ahn said, "Since 2018, China has been installing without permission, in the waters off the West Sea, military-type structures that are aquaculture facilities in name only," pointing out, "This is the same tactic as the one used in the past to turn the South China Sea and East China Sea into disputed areas and claim China's control."
Ahn said, "The Lee Jae-myung administration has each time merely told the public that it is 'watching closely,' 'has conveyed its position,' and 'is reviewing proportional responses,'" adding, "Even after meeting President Xi Jinping at the Gyeongju APEC, it produced no results, and in the 2026 presidential briefings it was not even addressed as a pending issue."
Ahn stressed, "Livelihood issues, U.S.–North Korea dialogue, and inter-Korean relations are extremely secondary at the South Korea–China talks," adding, "It is the removal of China's structures in the West Sea that is the urgent pending matter that must be ensured for national security and the defense of territorial waters."