South Korea says it views China's move to relocate some of its steel structures in the Yellow Sea as meaningful progress.

Kang Young-shin, Director-General for Northeast and Central Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared the government's stance on the matter while speaking to reporters Tuesday, calling the relocation a change that will be helpful to advancing Seoul-Beijing ties.

Seoul has consistently engaged in consultations with Beijing to oppose the unilateral installment of steel structures in the South Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone(PMZ), an area where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones overlap.

Kang said Seoul will continue to seek progress on the issue.

Earlier on January 7, during a luncheon with reporters in Shanghai, President Lee Jae Myung said China had agreed to remove one of three structures in the PMZ used to manage two fish farms.

Seoul has been pushing for the removal of the management facility out of concerns it could be used for other purposes. 

While the management facility is expected to be removed, the two fish farms are likely to remain in the PMZ.