Personnel from the Chinese side were identified on a maritime structure installed by China in the West Sea Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ). In the National Assembly, voices were raised that the Korean government should respond.
Lee Byung-jin, a lawmaker with the Agriculture. Food. Rural Affairs. Oceans. and Fisheries Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea representing Pyeongtaek-eul, Gyeonggi, on the 22nd released photos taken in August of a structure China installed in the West Sea, ahead of the National Assembly audit of the Korea Coast Guard.
Lee said that in photos of the Chinese fish farm Sunlan No. 2, installed last year, five personnel can be seen: two on the top of the structure, two on the center left, and one on the stairs touching the sea surface. He also explained that the person at the lowest position appears to be wearing a diving suit and servicing an oxygen tank.
Lee said, "It is rare for offshore fish farms to use diving suits and oxygen tanks," and noted, "A boat that appears to be a high-speed craft carrying only a small number of people was also observed." He then said it does not appear to be ordinary fish-farming operations.
Lee argued, "Like the South China Sea, this could be China's attempt to turn the West Sea into its 'inland sea,'" adding, "There is also a possibility the West Sea structure could be used for military purposes."
Earlier, Lee proposed, when the government drew up the first and second supplementary budget this year, 1 billion won in research service fees and 60.5 billion won in proportional response structure installation expense to respond to the illegal structures China installed in the West Sea. The budget items were approved by bipartisan agreement in the National Assembly's Agriculture. Food. Rural Affairs. Oceans. and Fisheries Committee, but were all cut during deliberations by the Special Committee on Budget & Accounts.
Lee said, "There is a possibility that people are residing on Sunlan No. 2," and added, "If we do not respond proactively, China will never withdraw, so we must not miss the golden time for proportional countermeasures to safeguard maritime sovereignty."
The Korean government is demanding that China dismantle the West Sea structure. In response, the Chinese side argued that the structure is a facility for aquaculture and is unrelated to sovereignty or maritime boundary delimitation issues. In February, the Chinese side blocked an on-site survey by a Korean oceanographic survey vessel and faced off with the Korean Coast Guard.