Korea and China avoided brewing tension over the latter’s planned drone dispatch to inspect areas including leodo after Beijing notified Seoul that the action is intended not to boost its jurisdiction claim, but only for surveillance purposes.

This comes after Korea demanded that China verify a Chinese media report that China’s State Oceanic Administration plans to send an unmanned aerial vehicle to monitor the submerged rock south of Jeju Island in the exclusive economic zone shared by the two countries.

China also said that leodo is not a source of territorial dispute between the two countries, and that it should be decided which side of the sea leodo belongs to based on an international law concerning maritime boundaries.

Korea has decided not to lodge an official complaint as China expressed that it is not exercising jurisdiction over leodo.

Speaking at a ceremony celebrating Korea’s National Foundation Day, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said that Korea would sternly deal with attempts of claiming sovereignty over any part of its territory.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)