• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.7-23
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• 2019

Smart cities are expanding their spatial scope to urban areas and regions. Linking regional economic development strategies beyond the borders with smart city planning can lead to cooperation and economic development between regions and countries as well. The purpose of this study is to suggest cooperation and regional development of the three nations - Korea, North Korea and China - through the Yellow Sea Rim Smart Region. To this end, smart city strategies and economic development plan with implementation status in the three countries including special economic zones have analyzed that could be the spatial basis of the smart region. On the west coast of Korea facing the Yellow Sea, lots of projects related to smart cities are actively underway in Saemangeum, Yellow Sea Free Economic Zone(YESFEZ), and Incheon Free Economic Zone(IFEZ). Although the political situation is still uncertain, North Korea is analyzed to have economic and technical potential in the west coast connecting Haeju, Nampo, and Sinuiju. In Liaoning and Shandong provinces of China, smart city projects have been actively promoted in recent years especially in the state-supporting industrial cities. Restoration of economic cooperation between South Korea and China, linkage of transportation networks, vitalization of cross-border cooperation projects between China and North Korea centered on Dandong and Sinuiju, and the connecting of smart city infrastructure and services for China and South Korea's economic cooperation process will make the Yellow Sea Rim as a world prosperous economic region. However, it is necessary to establish and operate a governance system through long-term planning for transnational consultation and establishment of a promotion organization.