S. Korea, China to hold working-level talks on EEZ this week

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- Government officials of South Korea and China will hold working-level talks this week to discuss the demarcation of their exclusive economic zones (EEZs), Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. You Ki-jun, director-general of the International Legal Affairs Bureau at Seoul's foreign ministry, will meet with Wang Xiaodu, ambassador for Yellow Sea Affairs, in Seoul on Thursday, the ministry said in a release. The South's delegation will also include officials from the oceans ministry and related government agencies. Seoul has demanded that their EEZs be demarcated by drawing a median line between the two countries. Beijing has argued that the coastlines and the population along them must be taken into account to conduct a proportional EEZ demarcation. An EEZ is a sea zone that a country has special rights over regarding the exploration and use of marine resources. It stretches out to 200 nautical miles from the shore. The planned meeting follows the vice-ministerial talks held between the two countries in July. elly@yna.co.kr (END)