Inter-Korean maritime linkages: Economic integration vs. hub dependence, 1985-2005

http://www2.unil.ch/ectqg07/International audienceThis paper investigates the spatial evolution of inter-Korean maritime connections for the last two decades. Based on the circulation pattern and capacity of trading vessels' movements, it applies the Gini coefficient to the ring of external ports connecting North Korea to the outside world. Results show the gradual isolation of North Korea and the increased importance of neighboring transit ports through three main stages. First, traffics concentrate in global hub ports (Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japanese ports). Second, traffics split and spread to closer and smaller transit ports (Busan, Dalian, Nakhodka). Third, traffics re-concentrate upon Incheon, South Korea, which has become the dominant load center of the North in recent years. One difficulty is therefore whether such spatial shift should be attributed to the betterment of inter-Korean relationships (e.g. 2000 summit, maritime agreement) or to the internal problems of North Korea in terms of infrastructure decay and lacks of handling capacity at its ports. Such research allows complementing port concentration studies by analyzing external hub dependence in the case of a collapsing and increasingly isolated econom

: A strategic area for European investment in DPRK

Published in: Park, M.K., Seliger, B., Park, S.J. (Eds.) Europe - North Korea: Between Humanitarianism and Business?, LIT Verlag, Global Cultural and Economic Research, pp. 249-268 [ISBN 978-3-643-10351-2].This paper provides an overview of main problems affecting the development of North Korean regions. It recognizes the importance of transport and logistics as key factors in regional economic growth. A critical overview of main economic areas in terms of market size, industrial specializations, accessibility, and infrastructure provision, concludes that Nampo is the most efficient location for European companies that are willing to use North Korea as a base for producing and exporting their goods. Conclusions are based on recent figures about maritime traffics and hinterland characteristic

Inter-Korean maritime dynamics in the Northeast Asian context: Peninsular integration or North Korea's pragmatism?

http://crc.ehess.fr/document.php?id=467Although nowadays inter-Korean trade is primarily shipped by sea, very limited attention has been paid to the specific role of maritime transport in inter-Korean relationships. Based upon a 20-year database of daily vessel movements, this paper relates the changing geography of inter-Korean connections with the evolution of the North Korean economy and territory. Main results show the convergence between inter-Korean economic cooperation and shipping growth. South Korean ports also provide a logistics platform facilitating North Korea's transit trade with the rest of the world. The convergence or divergence between economic integration and hub dependence are discussed and provide a base for further researc

Local strength and global weakness: A maritime network perspective on South Korea as Northeast Asia's logistics hub

Paper presented at the International Conference on Shipping, Port, and Logistics Management, 3rd Asian Logistics Round Table (ALRT), Inha University, Incheon, April 2-3 (2009)Port development in South Korea has taken advantage of the country's remarkable situation and economic growth during the past decades. However, the governmental ‘two-hub port strategy' is currently at stake because of fierce competition from Chinese ports. Based on a global database on the daily movements of containerships, this paper proposes an evaluation of the position of South Korean ports within Northeast Asian liner networks in 1996 and 2006. Main results show that although Chinese ports have increased substantially their position in the maritime system, South Korean ports (notably Busan) still keep a dominant hub function in this region. However, a multi-scalar analysis shows the limited global radiance of South Korean ports. Implications for policy and further research are addresse

The flight of Icarus? Incheon's transformation from port gateway to global city

Many Taylor & Francis and Routledge books are now available as eBooks; see www.tandf.co.uk and www.eBookstore.tandf.co.ukThis chapter examines the relationship between freight and urban development in the case of the South Korean city of Incheon. Functionally linked to the capital Seoul as main gateway of the Gyeongin corridor, home to a major seaport (second after Busan) and new international airport, the local and national government have been especially aggressive in promoting all modes of freight transportation and logistics activity, as well as free economic zones, notably based on the "Pentaport" concept. The case of Incheon thus provides a site for exploring how (and with what consequences) cities in export-oriented Asian nations have gone about planning for heightened and elaborated flows of goods. Furthermore, it explores how logistic activities co-exist with the ambitions of Incheon - and South Korea as a whole - of becoming a Northeast Asia's knowledge and business hub. In light of the multiplication of other projects nationally and in Asia, and of the competition from Chinese manufacturers and transportation providers, this case provides some insights into what trends may emerge in the future

Political and economic factors in the evolution of North Korea's maritime connections

Paper presented at Sustainability in International Shipping, Port and Logistics Industries and the China Factor, International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) Conference, Dalian, China, 2-4 April 2008. Journal website: http://ejri.net/english/journal_01.phpInternational audienceThis paper is an empirical attempt verifying the interplay between political change, fleet nationality, and the evolution of shipping networks. North Korea offers a good example of a socialist maritime country that experienced much contrasted geopolitical contexts during the last two decades. A database of vessel movements between North Korean ports and other ports is analyzed. Main results show differences between North Korean and foreign fleets in terms of traffic (vessel size, age, berthing time) and geographical coverage. South Korean ports tend to play a new role in the reorganization of North Korean-related flows in Northeast AsiaCet article analyse les rapport entre changement politique, nationalité des flottes de commerce, et l'évolution des réseaux maritimes. La Corée du Nord offre le cas d'un pays maritime socialiste ayant expérimenté de forts contrastes géopolitiques durant les deux dernières décennies. Une base de données sur les mouvements de navires entre ports nord-coréens et autres ports est analysée. Les résultats principaux montrent certaines différences entre les flottes nord-coréenne et étrangère en termes de trafic (taille et âge des navires, temps d'accostage moyen) et de répartition géographique des circulations. Les ports sud-coréens semblent jouer un rôle nouveau dans la réorganisation des flux nord-coréens entre l'Asie du Nord-Est et le reste du monde

The changing relations between foreland and hinterland at North Korean ports (1985-2006)

Being one of the few remaining communist States in the world, North Korea offers a good example of a constrained economy facing dramatic internal and external pressures. Although land transport dominates in North Korea due to border trade with China and Russia, maritime transport better reflects its position in the global economy. Based on worldwide vessel movements at all ports connected to North Korea between 1985 and 2006, indicators of maritime connectivity closely match the country's evolution according to its political and economical changes. Alongside with a spatial contraction of forelands stemming from diplomatic isolation, industrial decline, trade embargo, and infrastructure dereliction after the collapse of the USSR (1991) and the nuclear crisis (1993-1994), results also show a process of regionalization and port concentration in Northeast Asia at a time of increased openness, cooperation projects, and foreign investments following the inter-Korean summit (2000) and the economic reforms (2002). Finally, comment are given about internal factors such as inter-regional disconnection, transport system dereliction, logistics costs, and accessibility that result in a growing divide between East and West coast

Les connexions maritimes de la Corée du Nord: Recompositions territoriales dans la péninsule coréenne et dynamiques régionales en Asie du Nord-Est

National audienceThrough quantitative data extracted from Lloyd's insurance group, this paper analyses the evolution of vessel movements through North Korean ports from 1985 to 2005. Results show how ongoing inter-Korean economic integration and the internal difficulties of the North Korean transport system foster North/South maritime connections. In a backdrop of North Korean economic reforms and growing interrelations between both Koreas, the shift of North Korean main traffic to nearby transit ports (hubs) illustrates changing commercial relations, contraction of the North Korean economic space, and also the practice of ocean carriers, who tend to concentrate their services on the nearest ports with best infrastructuresL'évolution des mouvements de navires dans les ports nord-coréens entre 1985 et 2005 montre que la multiplication des connexions maritimes Nord/Sud provient autant d'une intégration économique en cours des deux pays que des difficultés du système de transport et de la réorganisation des relations commerciales de la Corée du Nord. Dans un contexte de réformes économiques au Nord et d'ouverture entre les deux Corées, le glissement des trafics majeurs vers des hubs chinois et sud-coréens illustre la contraction de l'espace économique nord-coréen sur la région de Pyongyang et la logique des armateurs, qui concentrent leurs services sur les relais les plus proches et les mieux équipé

Going West? Spatial polarization of the North Korean port system

International audienceThis paper proposes an analysis of North Korean ports in the light of existing models and cases of port system evolution. In particular, it reviews the economical and political factors shaping port concentration in developed, developing, and socialist countries. A database on vessel movements allows for the analysis of individual North Korean port traffic by total capacity circulated, cargo type, fleet nationality, immediate origin and destination, and berthing time between 1985 and 2005. On the one hand, results confirm broader trends such as geopolitical change from socialist trade to isolation, and new inter-Korean relations. On the other hand, the geography of North Korean port traffic combines elements of both socialist and developing countries. While ideological factors and military control hamper port modernization and trade openness, traffic concentration at the Pyongyang-Nampo gateway highlights the gradual precedence taken by economical factors over political factors. This is also explained by spatial polarization in the capital region at the expense of Eastern ports for which inland transport limitations and industrial decline have become major issues. Some possible policy directions are provided for future port development in this countr