• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.208-225
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• 2019

To understand the mean surface circulation and surface currents in the East Sea, trajectories of surface drifters passed through the East Sea from 1991 to 2017 were analyzed. By analyzing the surface drifter trajectory data, the main paths of surface ocean currents were grouped and the variation in each main current path was investigated. The East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) heading northward separates from the coast at $36{\sim}38^{\circ}N$ and flows to the northeast until $131^{\circ}E$. In the middle (from $131^{\circ}E$ to $137^{\circ}E$) of the East Sea, the average latitude of the currents flowing eastward ranges from 36 to $40^{\circ}N$ and the currents meander with large amplitude. When the average latitude of the surface drifter paths was in the north (south) of $37.5^{\circ}N$, the meandering amplitude was about 50 (100) km. The most frequent route of surface drifters in the middle of the East Sea was the path along $37.5-38.5^{\circ}N$. The surface drifters, which were deployed off the coast of Vladivostok in the north of the East Sea, moved to the southwest along the coast and were separated from the coast to flow southeastward along the cyclonic circulation around the Japan Basin. And, then, the drifters moved to the east along $39-40^{\circ}N$. The mean surface current vector and mean speed were calculated in each lattice with $0.25^{\circ}$ grid spacing using the velocity data of surface drifters which passed through each lattice. The current variance ellipses were calculated with $0.5^{\circ}$ grid spacing. Because the path of the EKWC changes every year in the western part of the Ulleung Basin and the current paths in the Yamato Basin keep changing with many eddies, the current variance ellipses are relatively large in these region. We present a schematic map of the East Sea surface current based on the surface drifter data. The significance of this study is that the surface ocean circulation of the East Sea, which has been mainly studied by numerical model simulations and the sea surface height data obtained from satellite altimeters, was analyzed based on in-situ Lagrangian observational current data.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.723-728
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• 2006

The species of Grateloupia filicina, Grateloupia divaricata in East Sea were investigated taxonmically in order to clarify taxonomic position. The ecological character, external morphology, anatomy of vegetative structure. Blade length are $15{\sim}40\;cm$, erect from discoidal holdfast of $3{\sim}10\;mm$ in diameter. Stipe $1{\sim}2.5\;cm$ long, narrowly cylindrical below, compressed above Grateloupia filicina. Main axis are long and compressed, $3{\sim}7\;mm$ broad in broadest part. Colors are scarlet to light red. Blade length are $10{\sim}25\;cm$, erect from discoidal holdfast of $3{\sim}8\;cm$ in diameter Grateloupia divaricata. Stipe are single and simple $2{\sim}5\;mm$ broad. Thallus composed of cortex and medulla in section ; cortex composed of $9{\sim}10$ layers of anticlinally arranged cortical cell, divided into outer, middle and inner parts. Partial fragments of nuclear 18S rDNAs from the two species of Grateloupia (Rhodophyta) were amplified using the PCR reaction and sequenced to compare their similarity. The partial sequences showed 98.9% similarity each other. Grateloupia filicina has 371 bp sizes and Grateloupia divaricata has 372 bp size. The G+C contents of Grateloupia filicina is 54.3% and Grateloupia divaricata is 53.64%.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2008

Analyzing the results of East Sea Regional Ocean Model using a 3-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme, we investigated spatial and temporal variability of the North Korean Cold Current (NKCC) in the East Sea. The climatological monthly mean transport of the NKCC clearly shows seasonal variation of the NKCC within the range of about 0.35 Sv ($=0^6m^3/s$), which increases from its minimum (about 0.45 Sv) through December-January to March, decreases during March and May, and then increases again to the maximum (about 0.8 Sv) in August-September. The volume transport of the NKCC shows interannual variation of the NKCC with the range of about 1.0 Sv that is larger than seasonal variation. The southward current of the NKCC appears often not only in summer but in winter as well. The width of the NKCC is about 35 km near the Korean coast and its core is located under the East Korea Warm Current. The North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), characterized by low salinity and low temperature, is located both under the Tsushima Warm Water and in the western side of the maximum southward current of the NKCC that means the NKCC advects the NKCW southward along the Korean coast. It is revealed that the intermediate low salinity water, formed off the Vladivostok in winter, flows southward to the south of $37^{\circ}N$ through $2{\sim}3$ paths; one path along the Korean coast, another one along $132^{\circ}E$, and the middle path along $130^{\circ}E$. The path of the intermediate low salinity varies with years. The reanalysis fields suggest that the NKCW is advected through the paths along the Korean coast and along $130^{\circ}E$.

• Maritime Security
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.93-117
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• 2020

Four cargo ships were ambushed by bombs in 2019 while navigating in the Strait of Hormuz. It was not clear who attacked those ships, however, many nations including the United States argued that it was Iran due to several reasons. The United States established the maritime collective defense system named International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) in order to protect the maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, without disclosure against whom it is aimed. Persian, who uses the Persian language unlike other countries in the Middle East, is the major ethnic group in Iran, and most of them believe Shi'ah Islam while most of the Arabs in the Gulf countries adhere to Sunni Islam. It seems that historic and religious motives caused the bipolar system in the Middle East, however, it is plausible to analyze the system of international affairs in the Middle East via defensive or structural realism. Iran has attempted to maintain its hegemony in the region by supporting Shi'ah muslims in the neighboring countries as well as in the world by using military and economic means. In this context, Iran's maritime strategy is to maintain its maritime hegemony on the Persian Gulf via countering threats and cooperating with friendly navies by using the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy(IRIN) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy(IRGCN). IRIN acts like other navies in the world: protecting national interest at sea, expending its operational areas to the outer seas, and enhancing cooperation with other navies. Meanwhile, IRGCN plays a role as an asymmetric force at sea. It is composed of small and fast asymmetric assets, which can ambush ships fast and furious. Considering the poor study for Iran's maritime strategy in Korea, analyzing the strategy is meaningful for the Republic of Korea Navy, which has operated the Cheonghae Unit for more than ten years since it has extended its operational area over the Strait of Hormuz. In order not to be drawn into the conflict in the Strait, research on the maritime strategy of Iran and other countries in the Middle East should be started.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.696-700
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• 2004

In the Korean seas, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Thermal Fronts (TF) were analyzed temporally and spatially during 8 years from 1993 to 2000 using NOAA/AVHRR MCSST. As the result of harmonic analysis, distributions of the mean SST were $10~25^{\circ}C,$ and generally SST decreased as latitude increased. SST increased in the order as following; the South Sea $(20\~23^{\circ}C),$ the East Sea $(17\~19^{\circ}C)$, and the West $Sea(13\~16^{\circ}C).$ Annual amplitudes and phases were $4\~11^{\circ}C,\;210\~240^{\circ}$ and high values were shown as following; the West Sea $(A1,\;9\~11^{\circ}C),$ the Northern East Sea $(A5,\;8\~9^{\circ}C),$ the Southern East Sea $(A4,\;6\~8^{\circ}C),$ the South Sea $(A3,\;6\~7^{\circ}C),$ the East China Sea $(A2,\;4\~7^{\circ}C)$ and phases; $A3\;(238\~242^{\circ}),\;A4\;(235\~240^{\circ}),\;A5\;(225\~235^{\circ}),\;Al\;(220\~230^{\circ}),\;A2\;(210\~235^{\circ}),$ respectively, Both of them were related inversely except the area A2, therefore the rest areas were affected by seasonal variations. TF were detected by Soble Edge Detection Method using gradient of SST. Consequently, TF were divided into 4 fronts; the Subpolar Front (SPF) based on the Cold Water Mass (low SST and salinity Subartic Water), resulting from the North Korea Cold Current (NKCC) and the East Sea Proper Cold Water in the middle and low layer, and the Warm Water Mass (high SST and salinity Subtropical Water), resulting from the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) in area A4 and 5, the Kuroshio Front (KF) based on the Kuroshio Current (KC) and shelf waters in the East China Sea (ESC) in A2, and the South Sea Coastal Front (SSCF) based on the South Sea Coastal Water (SSCW) and TWC in A3. Also, the Tidal Front was weakly appeared in AI. TF located in steep slope of submarine topography. Annual amplitudes and phases were bounded in the same place, and these results should be considered to influence of seasonal variations.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.94-110
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• 2003

This study utilizes the dataset of Topex/Poseidon(T/P) altimeter sea surface height (1992-2000 yr., 286 cycles)to investigate the tempore-spatial variability in the East (Japan) Sea. Optimal interpolation (Ol) technique was applied to the pre-processed T/P dataset (level 2) to produce sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) map on regular grids. Spectral analyses of the timeseries of the SSHA at chosen stations and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of the SSHA in the entire East Sea were made. Distribution of the SSHA can be divided by the southern and northern regions sharply by the polar front situated in the middle of the East Sea. The southern region under the direct influence of the Tsushima Current exhibits higher amplitude of the SSHA fluctuation, while the northern region does relatively smaller one. The spatio-temporal variability of the SSHA in the East Sea can be characterized by the five modes of the EOFs accounting for more than 85% of the total variance. The first mode dominates the SSHA variation in the entire domain with strong seasonal and inter-annual periods accounting for the 72.3% of the total variance. The other modes (up to 5th account for 14%) are responsible for the SSHA variation associated with the local current system, meandering of the polar frontal axis, and mesoscale eddies. Spectral peaks with significant confluence level show semi-annual, annual and interannual (2, 3-4 years) periods.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.411-427
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• 1996

A Lagrangian dispersion model has been developed to study the transport of atmospheric pollutants over the southern Korean peninsula on sunny summer days. A mesoscale atmospheric model has been employed to provide the wind fields and information for turbulent diffusion for the calculation of trajectories using a conditioned particle technique. The model has been applied to the simulation of the transport of atmospheric pollutants emitted from five sources in the coastal locations under various synoptic scale winds. Under calm synoptic scale condition, the particles emitted during daytime are mixed vertically and transported toward inland by sea-breeze, according to the model simulation. The particles are then transported upward at she sea-breeze front or by the upward motion over the mountain, and some particles show tendency of returning toward the coast by the return flow of the sea-breeze circulation. The particles are found to remain over the peninsula throughout the integration period under calm synoptic scale condition. When there is westerly synoptic scale winds the particles emitted in the west coast can reach the east coast within a day of faster depending on the speed. With a synoptic scale southerly wind of 5 m/s, most of the particles from the fine sources are advected toward inland during daytime. During nighttime, significant portion of particles released in the west coast remains over the land, while most particles released in the east coast move toward the sea to the east of the middle peninsula.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.772-778
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• 2011

In order to estimate the densities and composition of floating marine debris (FMD), a sighting survey was conducted from July 1st to July 14th, 2009 in the East China Sea (ECS) using a training vessel "Kaya (1,737 ton)" of Pukyong National University. The sampled zones are divided into 5 transects by observation day during the survey days and the densities and composition in each transect were calculated using the numbers of item per $km^2$. The results of distribution of FMD are as follows: 1. During the surveys, a large variety of FMD was discovered and highest densities were found in the Central East(CE) of the East China Sea(ECS) (48.2 items/$km^2$), whereas densities in the less populated transects in Okinawa(OK1, OK2) were comparatively low(3.5 ~ 4.9 items//$km^2$). 2. Among the classified 6 items, styrofoams(Styro) were most abundant and ubiquitous(10.3 items/$km^2$, 53% of the total number), except OK2 area. Next abundant item was vinyl and plastics called V & P(4.9 items/$km^2$, 25%). Above 2 items of the major proportion of FMD accounted for 78% of the total number of FMD observed through this study. 3. The percentages of manufactured plastics(Styro and V & P) found in the Seas near Korean Peninsula were varied from 87.2% to 69.8%. It was recognized that polluted level is middle value among them.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.71-103
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• 2009

This study is designed to propose the ways of the multilateral cooperation system for effective management of fisheries resources in the various overlapping zones established by bilateral fisheries agreements between Korea, China and Japan in North East Asia as semi-enclosed sea. It is necessary to build multilateral fisheries cooperation between Korea, China and Japan in North East Asia because conservation & management of transboundary fish stocks could not be guaranted effectively by the management of fisheries resources in the area where piled up the current-fishing-pattern zone, as white zone and the various grey zone as middle zone, and the interim measures zone of bilateral fisheries agreements between Korea, China and Japan are piled up. Fisheries management in Korea, China and Japan by the bilateral fisheries agreements in North East Asia is faced with difficulties manage fisheries resources. International relationship on fisheries is maintained by bilateral fisheries agreements based on UNCLOS. However fisheries resources are over-exploited and the recovery of the fisheries resources is very slow because proper conservation and management of transboundary fish stocks which article 63(1) of UNCLOS defines have not prepared yet. Thus close cooperation among the coastal States for a proper conservation and management of transboundary fish stocks is necessary. Since the transboundary fish migrate within the EEZs of two or more coastal States, there is a need to manage the fish stocks in the region between Korea, China and Japan through a multi-lateral mechanism at ccircumference area of the current-fishing-pattern zone as white zone. Coastal States must guarantee sustainable maintenance of transboundary fish stocks through the regional cooperation for a proper conservation & management because one coastal State alone could not guarantee conservation and management of fish stocks. Thus there is a need to build multilateral fisheries cooperation between Korea, China and Japan in North East Asia. There are many successful instances including the Barents' sea for a proper conservation & management of transboundary fish stocks. The Barents' sea is one of the best research object to study the regional cooperation for a conservation & management of transboundary fish stocks in North East Asia. In conclusion, it is necessary to build a multilateral fisheries cooperation system between Korea, China and Japan in North East Asia to conserve and manage transboundary fish stocks effectively. It seems desirable that the range of the area to conserve and manage fish stocks should may be any partial area in the current-fishing-pattern zone and interim measures zone between Korea and China, Jeju middle zone between Korea and Japan, interim measures zone of bilateral fisheries agreements between China and Japan.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.251-263
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• 2005

In order to study changes in the marine ecosystem of the East China Sea derived by the global warming and construction of the Three Gorges Dam in the middle of the Changjiang, temperature, salinity, nutrients, and chlorophyll-a were studied intensively in the northern part of the East China Sea during the summer of 2003 and spring of 2004. According to the previous studies, the upwelling of the Kuroshio Current and the Changjiang resulted in a major inputs of nutrients in the East China Sea, but these two inputs may not contribute gently to a build up of nutrients in the northern East China Sea. In spring, relatively high concentrations of nitrates and phosphates were observed in the western part of the study area, which resulted from the supply of high concentrations of nutrients showing up in the surface waters as a result of vertical mixing from the ocean bottom. The concentrations of nitrates and phosphates observed in summer were lower than those in spring, since the surface waters were well stratified by the larger discharge of fresh water from the Changjiang in summer. The surface nitrate/phosphate ratios ranged from 1.3 to 16 in spring and from 1.1 to 15 in summer and were lower than the Redfield ratio of 16, indicating that the growth of phytoplankton is limited by nitrogen. This results are contrary to the previous results, in which the growth of phytoplankton was limited by phosphate in the East China Sea. The reason for this contrary result is that most nutrients in the surface waters are supplied by vertical mixing from the bottom waters with low nitrate/phosphate ratios, not directly influenced by the Changjiang with high nitrate/phosphate ratios. The depth-integrated chlorophyll observed in summer was similar to the previous results, but those measured in spring were almost twice as high as those found in previous results. The depth-integrated chlorophyll in spring was higher than that of summer, which results from high concentrations of nitrates and phosphates in the surface waters in spring due to active vertical mixing.