China, West Sea Interim Measures Area "Threatening Our Marine Survey Ship with Weapons"

[Financial News] It was belatedly revealed that when our marine survey ship Onnuri-ho approached to investigate the large steel marine structure that China had installed without permission in the West Sea Interim Measures Zone (PMZ), Chinese people on rubber boats attached to the stern and even threatened with weapons.
Until the end of June, it was only reported that on February 26, the Chinese Coast Guard mobilized two large vessels of 110m in length and 3450t displacement, along with three rubber boats, to systematically interfere.
According to Assemblyman Yu Yongwon's office of the People Power Party on the 20th, although there were 18 members of the maritime special task force, a search and inspection team, aboard the Coast Guard vessel 3010, which was located 3.7km away from Onnuri-ho at the time, they were not deployed, and even though there was equipment to document China's illegal activities, no filming was done.
Moreover, although it was said that two patrol ships were maintaining a readiness posture in the nearby patrol area in preparation for an unexpected situation, further confirmation revealed that the two Coast Guard vessels were within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), 100km away, monitoring the illegal fishing of about 250 Chinese fishing boats.
At that time, our Coast Guard vessel 3010 conducted patrols to block two Chinese Coast Guard vessels approaching Onnuri-ho and protect Onnuri-ho, but even after receiving a report from Onnuri-ho that "a Chinese person on a rubber boat is possessing a weapon and obstructing the deployment of survey equipment by attaching to the stern," no action was taken.
In response, Assemblyman Yu pointed out that it is common sense to question how it is possible to maintain a readiness posture 100km away, criticizing the overall difficulty in response measures by our Coast Guard.
According to the Wall Street Journal on the 3rd, the West Sea is emerging as a new powder keg in Northeast Asia, with a surge in Chinese provocations and a sharp increase in the intrusion of Chinese warships and military aircraft into Korean territorial waters and airspace. The media also reported China's major provocations, such as deploying 13 large buoys that could be used for military reconnaissance inside and outside the PMZ, and setting part of the PMZ as a navigation prohibition zone and conducting military exercises in May this year.
Assemblyman Yu explained that China's West Sea project, aiming for maritime hegemony, is becoming more blatant. According to the Ministry of National Defense's submission, the entry of Chinese warships into our jurisdictional waters surged to 360 times in 2023, and the number of entries until June was 180, expected to exceed 300 times this year. He urged a strong proportional response to China's illegal West Sea project, emphasizing the need to actively engage in this issue for the pride of the people.
Professor Ban Gilju of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy pointed out that China's attempt to internalize the West Sea by installing structures is a long-term strategy that needs to be defined as a direct national security threat.
He further evaluated that Korea's proportional response is the minimum measure that can be taken to offset the gray zone intentions.
Additionally, he explained that the proportional response card can also find its utility as a negotiation card with China, suggesting that if Korea demands China to disable or relocate the West Sea structures and they do not comply, applying quantitative and distance proportionality to install similar structures in the Korea-China Interim Measures Zone could be used as leverage to employ a simultaneous withdrawal card on both sides in terms of reciprocity.
He highlighted the need to pay attention to the fact that such proportional response can be used not only as an offset effect in terms of security but also as a negotiating power in diplomatic terms.


wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jongyun Reporter