From the China Seas to the Sea of Japan: A Strait under Korean-Japanese Influence
Historically, the strait between South Korea and Japan, officially designated the “Korea Strait” in which the powerful Ao-shio ocean current flows, is the place of a unique civilization at the eastern tip of the Asian mainland. The islands and shores of the strait have been marked by ancient commercial trade and shared cultures, but also by violent conflicts and endemic piracy. The island of Tsushima, in the centre of the strait, is the best example of this. Territorial disputes for the rights to maritime resources, fishing in particular, are in these days settled in the strait with exclusive economical zones delimitation. Today, trends are now shifting to cross border trade and development of an economic region within the strait.