The South Korean navy’s chief of staff has vowed to respond “proportionally” to Chinese incursions in the Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), a stretch of the Yellow Sea where Beijing has expanded its footprint through quasi-civilian projects and persistent naval patrols.

But Adm. Kang Dong-gil’s pledge — made during a parliamentary audit last month — has reignited debate over whether Seoul can counter Beijing’s incremental “gray-zone” operations without risking escalation or losing control of its maritime space.

Experts told Korea Prothat South Korea risks falling into a strategic trap, with China using its naval superiority to apply pressure while