Increasing Submarine Cable Sabotage as a Grey Zone Strategy

In recent years, sabotage targeting undersea cables have occurred in multiple regions around the world, including the Baltic Sea, Taiwan Strait, and the Red Sea. However, under the current international legal framework remains insufficient to regulate such sabotage or to ensure the effective protection of submarine cable infrastructure. Undersea cables located within a coastal State’s territorial sea or archipelagic waters enjoy a certain degree of legal protection derived from the State’s sovereignty and jurisdiction. By contrast, cables laid in areas beyond national jurisdiction—particularly on the high seas—remain far more vulnerable due to the absence of comprehensive enforcement mechanisms.

This article is an English Summary of Asan Issue Brief (2025-15).

(‘해저 케이블 사보타주에 대한 국제사회의 대응과 한국에 대한 시사점’)