The South Korean government expressed grave concern over China's series of water cannon uses in the South China Sea.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk on Tuesday, the government has expressed concerns over the repeated use of water cannons in the region, which damaged a Philippine ship and injured a Filipino sailor.

Lim added that such actions increase tensions in  the major international navigation route used by all countries, including South Korea, while undermining peace, stability, safety and rules-based maritime order.

The spokesperson emphasized that freedom of navigation and overflight must be respected by all countries in the international community, based on the principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China and the Philippines have been engaged in repeated clashes near the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.