Abstract
The main objective of this study aims at analyzing the national roles of fisheries in the global economy from the constitutional view point. Globalization provides general firms and businessmen with great opportunities that allow them to be able to plan and operate their business strategies beyond the national boundaries. WTO and FTA negotiations must be important facilitators of such globalization. However, Korean primary industries like fisheries under comparative disadvantage have a high probability that there may have to be the trade-offs between the primary and the industrial sector to maximize national benefits in the process of bilateral and/or multilateral international trade deals. Since, moreover, fishermen face strong binding constraints under which they hardly carry out fishing operations standing aloof from national boarders, they have to manage fishing businesses within their own national territory, to maintain and develop fisheries culture, and to explore their own destiny for themselves. Because of such reasons, the constitution imposes upon the State the duty to support and develop fisheries and fishing villages. Considering its article and spirit associated with fisheries(i.e. article 123), it seems unnecessary at this point in time that Korean society makes debates over national consensus for supporting fisheries. The reason is because the explicit provisions of the constitution do not allow their arbitrary interpretation depending upon interests or policy situations. However, where national support to the particular sector could not meet the expected social value system, there would be a great deal of chance to invite serious societal debates over such national commitment to the fisheries. Therefore, whether using it efficiently and realizing the socially expected policy goals must be a responsibility of both fisheries administration and fishing industries.
