Overview

• China has declared three no-sail zones in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) of the Yellow Sea, overlapping parts of South Korea’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has lodged a formal protest with Beijing, citing concerns over excessive restrictions on freedom of navigation.
• The no-sail zones, reportedly tied to Chinese military training, are the latest in a series of unilateral actions by China in the contested PMZ.
• South Korea is coordinating with its defense ministry and other agencies to assess whether China’s actions violate international maritime law.
• The PMZ, established under a provisional fisheries agreement, remains legally unresolved due to the absence of a finalized maritime boundary between the two nations.