The pledge comes a day after lawmaker Lee Byung-jin of the ruling Democratic Party revealed during a parliamentary audit that Chinese personnel were spotted on such structures in the area.
Lee shared photos showing five people on the structures, believed to have been installed last year along with other buoys, and warned that they may have stayed there, raising concerns that Beijing could use them for military purposes. He called for timely action to protect maritime sovereignty.
But Beijing denied allegations that the structures are intended for military or territorial purposes, claiming they are solely for salmon farming.
Seoul has lodged protests over these installations several times through various diplomatic channels, asking China to remove them from the zone, as they could violate or infringe relevant maritime and fisheries regulations. But so far, these efforts have been to no avail.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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