This image taken from handout video footage, released on Tuesday by the Philippine Coast Guard, shows the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Bagacay being hit by a Chinese coast guard vessel's water cannon near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea. AFP-Yonhap

The Korean Embassy in Manila expressed concern on Wednesday over China's attack on two Philippine Coast Guard vessels earlier this week with water cannons near Scarborough Shoal, a disputed chain of reefs and rocks in the South China Sea.

"The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines is concerned about the recent dangerous maneuvers and use of water cannons against Philippine vessels around the Scarborough Shoal," the embassy said in a statement. "We reiterate the importance of upholding peace, stability, safety and rules-based maritime order in the South China Sea, a critical sea lane of communications for all countries that are using it."

This statement comes a day after China's coast guard fired high-pressure water cannons at the Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels in the area. As a result, one of the ships suffered "damage to the railing and canopy," according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard.

In a separate statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, a governmental body under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., described the Chinese behavior as "illegal and irresponsible," accusing China's government of obstructing the lawful exercise of its rights and entitlements in its own exclusive economic zone.

Located 200 kilometers off the Philippines and inside its exclusive economic zone, the shoal had been controlled by the government until 2012, when Beijing seized it after a tense naval standoff between the two countries.