China proposed South Korea's field inspection of a steel structure it has installed without due notice in the Yellow Sea where the Exclusive Economic Zones(EEZs) of the two countries overlap.

According to an official at South Korea's foreign ministry on Thursday, Beijing's unilateral installment of the structure was discussed during the two sides' talks on maritime cooperation in Seoul the previous day.

Kang Young-shin, the ministry's director-general for Northeast and Central Asian affairs who led the South Korean delegation, delivered Seoul's regret over the structure, stressing the country's maritime rights and interests must not be violated.

Beijing claims that the structure supplements two other submersible structures as part of its aqua farming facility.

According to another ministry official, there are concerns that it may be trying to expand its influence in the Yellow Sea and establish a basis to make territorial claims. There is also concern that Seoul may be misinterpreted as approving such an attempt by Beijing by sending a team for the inspection.

Also during Wednesday's meeting, Seoul requested relocation of the three facilities outside the Provisional Maritime Zone(PMZ), and said it cannot tolerate installment of an additional structure.