• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.307-330
• /
• 2017

This paper attempts to elaborate on features of cross-border interaction conducted on Dan-dong, the main city of China-North Korea trade. Through the deep interview with some trader or firms and also questionnaire survey, this paper can reveal the supremacy of informal or non-market mechanism in the cross-border trade and inter-firm linkages, and also trader and firm's rent-seeking behaviour. These features show the uniqueness of border regime between China and North Korea. Even though it is getting more porous than before, I argue that China keeps the stance toward quite controlled borderland. As the proof of this argument, I show that main tenet of China's bordland policies is the borderland stability rather than the development. The striking one is the 'Prosperous Borders, Wealthy Minorities Program(??富民行???)'. In spite of the program's title, its utmost purpose is to secure the 'borderland stability and territorial integrity' rather than to enhance the border's openness and borderland's development.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.329-352
• /
• 2017

Since the late 2000s Korean foreign direct investors in North Korea and China border regions have gone through the closure of outward processing trade(OPT) networks and changes in their location due to UN security council resolution and Korean independent sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile tests. However, the introduction of new Chinese OPT policy has led to the invigoration of domestic market-based OPT networks towards North Korea. The main aim of this paper is to identify the exceptional characteristics of Dandong in Liaoning province, a North Korea and China border region by analyzing OPT networks towards North Korea. Fundamentally the establishment of OPT networks towards North Korea is likely to be based on the utilization of a plenty of low wages in North Korea. The main reasons for this are fallen into two perspectives: geo-economics and geo-politics. The first perspective is geo-economics centering on the consolidation of economic exchange between North Korea and China, and North Korean economic development. For example, the introduction of Chinese OPT in border region has enabled Chinese local firms based on domestic market to access a plenty of low wage in North Korea in formal and institutional contexts. The second is geo-politics for the stability of North Korean regime based on the means of geo-economics. As the invigoration of domestic market-based OPT networks might make North Korea possible promoting foreign money earning, it enable North Korea to be sustainable as a buffering region between capitalist and socialist regime for China. It shows Chinese geo-strategic attempts to deal with the economic and regime stability of North Korean as a buffering state. In other words, OPT networks in North Korea should be concerned with the discourse practice of geo-economics and geo-politics which might lead to various and contingent spatial economies in border region. As a consequence, North Korea and China border regions could defined as a space in which is applicable to exceptional institutions and policies, and an exploitative space in which create surplus and rents by utilizing a plenty of low wages in North Korea through OPT networks.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.761-777
• /
• 2016

This study is to suggest landform and environmental problems of border region of N. Korea and China by analyzing results of field work for the Dumangang and the Amnokgang from year 2000 up to year 2016. By the social system in North korea, access of study material is possible with satellite image and published statistical data, but impossible direct data collection. We gathered field work data on landform and environment in border Region of N. Korea and China. Before field survey, we analysed geometrical landform and geology using DEM and digital geology map. We analyzed landform and environmental problems occurring in upper, midstream, and downstream region of the Dumangang and the Amnokgang using field work data. Resultingly, this study will be expected to support as basic data for resonable management on natural resources and empirical research activities on North Korea.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.267-286
• /
• 2017

The main purpose of this paper is to identify the spatiality of North Korea and China border regions through investigating the exceptional characteristics of the regions with the concept of positionality, which allows us to realize the relative position between subject and object. Border regions could be identified appropriately by considering the concept of switching positionality, as it is a kind of multiple space in which its sudden closure and opening should be configured in accordance with geopolitical and geoeconomic changes centering around border line. The main arguments of this research concerned with border regions with the concept of switching positionality are fallen into three. Firstly, changes in border regions should be analyzed by investigating more broader contexts and conjunctural perspectives, and even an internal condition stemmed from locality. Secondly, trajectories of border regions could be analyzed by the assemblages of various powers. Finally, the positionality of economic actors should be examined by identifying dynamic relations between geoeconomics and geopolitics. In particular, the concept of positionality has led to a number of insights into discussions on time-space, and spatiality in relational-dialectical, socio-spatial, and power-topological perspectives. Based upon this concept of positionality, the research has identified exceptional characteristics in North Korea and China border regions. It argues that the exceptionality of the region has stemmed from the intersection between the unstability of geopolitical security and various geoeconomic benefits.

• Land and Housing Review
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.79-88
• /
• 2015

North Korean leader Kim, Jung-Il visited Beijing, China, May 2010, when he made a common recognition with Chinese President Hu Jintao on construction of the Rasun SEZ and the Hwanggumpyong-Wyhwado SEZ for development of Economic cooperation between N.Korea and China and accelerating establishment of SEZs in N.Korea. However, after N.Korea's third nuclear test on Feb. 2013, the relationship between N.Korea and China became a little worse. Recently, three nations' border region near Rasun in N.Korea is reconsidered that it is very important place for collaboration between and among 2, 3 or 4 countries, S.Korea, N.Korea, China and Russia. This thesis examined these changes of cooperation and plans among the countries near the border region and proposed some measures for participation of S.Korea on the projects in the Rasun region.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.369-387
• /
• 2017

This research derived sum of light (SOL) for Liaoning and Dandong, China, from DMSP OLS satellite images acquired at nighttime during 1992 to 2012 and investigated its potential association with economic status. The SOLs of Liaoning were found to be continuously increasing and higher than those of averages for the other provinces across the time period. The temporal pattern of SOLs would be interpreted to well reflect the economic status of this region based on real growth rate and average wage per capita. Nevertheless, the SOLs of Dandong were lower than the average of the other prefecture-level cities, which indicated the economic status of this city in China. Meanwhile, the average annual growth rate of SOLs for Dandong turned out to be increase for 1998~2007, compared with the previous years, and temporal patterns in the trade amount between North Korea and China and the export amount of North Korea to China were similar to those of SOLs in the same time period. The political association between South and North Koreas was improved with 'Sunshine Policy' during 1997~2007. Taking it into account, SOL is expected to be valuable spatial proxy index that could explain the geopolitcal and geoeconomic aspects of Dandong.