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The Philippines accused China's coastguard of using water
cannons on Saturday against a civilian boat supplying troops at
the Spratly Islands, a largely uninhabited archipelago in the
South China Sea which has long been a source of territorial
spats between the two countries.
It was the latest in a series of flare-ups in the past year.
The Philippines lodged a protest and said the boat was damaged
and some crew injured, while Beijing warned Manila to behave
cautiously and seek dialogue, saying their ties were at a
"crossroads".
"We are gravely concerned about the recent and repeated use of
water cannons in the South China Sea," Seoul's foreign ministry
spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, told a briefing.
"These actions increase tensions in the South China Sea, a major
international navigation route used by all countries including
Korea, and undermine efforts to maintain peace, stability,
security and a rules-based maritime order."
He also said the freedom of navigation and overflight must be
respected by all countries based on international law.
South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol administration has been vocal about
tension in the South China Sea and also the Taiwan Strait,
saying it opposes attempts to change the status quo by force.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Michael Perry)
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