China Starts Dismantling Yellow Sea Steel Platform After Seoul‑Beijing Talks
Updated (7 articles)
Removal work begins on the management platform China started dismantling the management platform on Tuesday evening, with a domestic firm carrying out the operation autonomously, according to foreign‑ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun [2][1][3]. The platform is part of three steel installations erected in the disputed Yellow Sea zone. The Chinese government framed the action as meeting the company’s own management and development needs.
Three steel structures sit in overlapping EEZs Two semi‑submersible buoys (installed in 2018 and 2024) and a fixed steel platform (erected in 2022) lie within the Provisional Maritime Zone where South Korean and Chinese exclusive economic zones intersect [1][2]. Both capitals have been negotiating since the installations appeared, citing concerns over unilateral footholds. The dispute centers on overlapping maritime claims and resource rights.
Seoul hails removal as meaningful progress South Korea’s foreign ministry called the dismantling “meaningful progress” and said it would help move bilateral relations forward [1]. Director‑general Kang Young‑shin highlighted continued constructive dialogue, while President Lee Jae Myung had earlier expected the platform’s removal following his summit with President Xi [2]. The praise underscores a diplomatic shift after months of tension.
Removal schedule and future management outlined Chinese officials announced the operation will run from 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, after which the platform will be relocated [1]. Seoul and Beijing have a tentative PMZ line to manage fisheries and joint marine resources while limiting other activities [1]. Both sides pledged ongoing talks to resolve the broader EEZ‑demarcation issue.
Sources (3 articles)
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[1]
Yonhap: South Korea Hails China’s Removal of Yellow Sea Steel Platform as Progress: South Korean foreign ministry lauds Beijing’s decision, emphasizes diplomatic benefit, and notes the platform’s relocation schedule .
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[2]
Yonhap: China Begins Dismantling Steel Platforms in Yellow Sea Dispute: Announces start of dismantling, cites autonomous Chinese firm, and references President Lee’s expectation after his summit with Xi .
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[3]
Yonhap: China begins removal of steel structures in Yellow Sea overlapping waters: Brief notice that removal work is under way, signaling an effort to address the disputed maritime infrastructure .
Timeline
2018 – China installs its first semi‑submersible buoy in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ) of the Yellow Sea, initiating the infrastructure that later becomes a flashpoint in Seoul‑Beijing relations. [1][2][4]
2022 – Beijing erects a fixed steel platform in the same PMZ; Seoul interprets the structure as a possible foothold for future territorial claims, deepening the maritime dispute. [1][4]
2024 – China adds a second semi‑submersible buoy to the PMZ, completing a trio of steel installations that dominate bilateral talks on EEZ delimitation. [1][2][4]
Jan 5, 2026 – At a summit in Beijing, Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Xi Jinping pledge to make the Yellow Sea a “peaceful and co‑prosperous” sea and commit to continued dialogue on the steel structures; Lee also orders tougher action against illegal Chinese fishing. [7]
Jan 5, 2026 – Both governments announce they will pursue vice‑ministerial talks on Yellow Sea boundary delimitation, marking a formal step toward resolving the EEZ dispute. [6]
Jan 6, 2026 – South Korea says vice‑ministerial maritime talks will resume within the year, noting the core disagreement: Seoul favors a median‑line boundary, while Beijing argues for a proportional‑coastline line. [5]
Jan 7, 2026 – President Lee tells a Shanghai press conference that China has agreed to pull out the “management facility” in the PMZ, labels the other two structures as aquaculture, and proposes drawing a median line and restarting working‑level EEZ talks this year. [4]
Jan 26‑30, 2026 (Tue‑Sat) – Chinese maritime authorities schedule the autonomous removal of the management platform, beginning at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday and running through Saturday. [2]
Jan 27, 2026 – Foreign‑ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirms that a Chinese firm is autonomously carrying out the dismantling of the management platform, aligning the operation with the company’s own management and development needs. [1][2][3]
Jan 27, 2026 – South Korea’s foreign ministry calls the removal “meaningful progress,” quoting Director‑General Kang Young‑shin that the step advances bilateral relations and underscores continued constructive dialogue. [2]
Jan 27, 2026 – President Lee reiterates that China is expected to remove one of the three steel platforms, reflecting progress from the recent summit and signalling a de‑escalation of the maritime dispute. [1]
Spring 2026 (planned) – The two Qing‑Dynasty stone lion statues held by the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation are slated to be returned to China, symbolising a broader cultural‑exchange thaw alongside maritime negotiations. [7]
2026 (later in the year, expected) – Vice‑ministerial talks on Yellow Sea EEZ delimitation are set to resume, providing a formal channel to address the underlying boundary methodology dispute and to complement working‑level discussions on the remaining steel structures. [5][6]
All related articles (7 articles)
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Yonhap: South Korea Hails China’s Removal of Yellow Sea Steel Platform as Progress
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Yonhap: China Begins Dismantling Steel Platforms in Yellow Sea Dispute
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Yonhap: China begins removal of steel structures in Yellow Sea overlapping waters
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Yonhap: Lee says China expected to remove one steel structure from disputed Yellow Sea waters
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Yonhap: South Korea urges progress with China on Yellow Sea boundary talks and disputed steel towers
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