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Lighthouse-shaped and solar-powered: Photos reveal China’s 13 buoys in Yellow Sea

Published: 03 Jun. 2025, 13:00

Chinese marine buoys discovered by the South Korean Navy on May 20, 2023, in the Yellow Sea. The three most recently installed buoys were found along the 123rd meridian east. [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY]

China has deployed 13 buoys of various shapes and sizes inside and around the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) in the Yellow Sea, claiming they are for maritime and meteorological observation, newly released photos showed Monday.

Amid growing concerns within the Korean government and military that China may be using the buoys for political purposes beyond their stated role — such as tracking Korean naval vessels — this is the first time their physical structures have been confirmed through photographs.

China installed the buoys between February 2018 and May 2023, according to photos submitted by the Navy to the National Assembly on Monday.

Most are labeled “marine observation buoy” or “marine monitoring buoy” in Chinese, with serial numbers from QF107 to QF222.

China's “China Marine Monitoring Buoy QF209” [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY]

The most recent three buoys, discovered on May 20, 2023, near the 123rd meridian east, bear labels including “Marine Observation Buoy of the People’s Republic of China,” “Power Construction Corporation of China” and “China Marine Monitoring Buoy QF222.”

The Power Construction Corporation of China, referenced on one of the buoys, is a state-owned enterprise under the State Council, the country's top administrative organ.

China's “Carbon Dioxide Flow Monitoring Buoy” [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY]

Other buoys carry labels such as “Carbon Dioxide Flow Monitoring Buoy,” indicating the involvement of various Chinese government agencies and suggesting the possibility of deliberate messaging to support the claimed scientific purpose.

The buoys vary significantly in design. Some stand nearly 10 meters (33 feet) tall and are equipped with lighthouse-style beacon functions, while others are fitted with solar panels. China has concentrated most of them between the 123rd and 124th meridians east — the latter being a maritime operations zone unilaterally declared by the Chinese military.

A Korean military official expressed concern over the true function of the installations.

“China says the buoys are for weather and ocean observation, but without dismantling them, it’s impossible to know if they’re also being used for military purposes such as submarine detection,” the official said.

China's “China Marine Surveillance Buoy QF219” [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY]

Analysts have raised the possibility that these buoys are part of a “grey zone” campaign aimed at asserting control over the Yellow Sea and monitoring Korean naval training activities.

In response, Korea has deployed its own buoys through agencies like the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Meteorological Administration, though sources note these efforts are limited in scale compared to China’s.

Last month, the Chinese military designated a navigation-restricted area near the PMZ and conducted exercises there, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS confirmed that the Navy deployed vessels nearby in a proportional response.

“We are assessing and analyzing the scale and content of the Chinese military drills,” said a JCS official.

China's “China Marine Surveillance Buoy QF110″ [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the potential for dual-use, saying it is monitoring the situation closely in coordination with relevant agencies.

The ministry said it did not rule out the possibility that the buoys serve military reconnaissance purposes.

“Korea has also installed multiple buoys in surrounding waters, including ones deployed as a proportional response to China’s installations," said a ministry official.

"The government will continue to closely monitor China's movements and take countermeasures as needed.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG, LEE YU-JUNG, PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]