• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.709-717
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• 2008

This study is to analyze environmental problems which have caused by changes of the population and agriculture in North Korea. Main results of the research are following. First, Population of the North Korea shows lower increase ratio less than 2% growth from 1970's to middle of 1990's. This is interpreted by food shortages. Second, population distribution by provinces represented that northern and eastern part of the North Korea were comparatively lower and other western areas were higher. Third, Food situation of the North Korea was relatively better in 1970's, but, 1990's was the worst in the way. Fourth, on the agricultural productivity according to each province, western areas possessing more plains were more higher than mountainous areas of the northern and eastern parts of North Korea. Fifth, Growth ratio of food production and population have grown very steadily until 1990's, but the increase ratio of population exceeded food productivity after 1990's. Sixth, Cropland reclamation for improving these situation have caused deforestation and environmental problems and especially eastern and northern areas became more serious. For the solving these problems of North Korea, it is necessary to get the help of South Korea and international societies with efforts by itself.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.41 no.3 s.114
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• pp.283-300
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• 2006

Gaesung city of North Korea is meaningful because of the development of Gaesung industrial complex as a peace-building project and economical cooperation works between South Korea and North Korea. This article presents the characteristics of natural landscape of Gaesung through geographical names. This research was studied by literature analysis of North Korea, depth interview of North Korean labour and refugees, and second times fieldwork. The main results of this study are as follows. Firstly, the mountain landscape of Geasung revealed on geographical names characterized mountainousness and round shape. Especially, the places where are enclosed by mountain and streams are foggy and rocky. Next the landscape of stream characterizes sandy, unstable, and tidal river. Thirdly the fauna and flora which are reflected on geographical names are hawk, snake, tiger, homed owl, snapping turtle, chestnut tree, pine tree, pear tree, zelkova tree, and willow etcetera. The environmental conditions of habitation of these are similar to the natural environment of Gaesung. Besides, the geographical names related to soil distributed in northern mountain area of Geasung. The place names implicated cliff located on the riverside. In addition to this, the geographical name of 'Bul' implicated plain distributed in the riverside of 'Seoam' which a branch stream of 'Sacheo'. And the place names related rock located in place enclosed by mountain, river, and village. In cnclusion, Gaesung is more important to us as the Gaesung industrial complex and tourism development. But the fundamental research on Gaesung is a few because Gaesung belongs to North Korea. Therefore, this research will be useful for the control and management of Gaesung in the future.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.373-394
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• 2020

The strengthening of multilateral international sanctions against North Korea has raised questions as to how effective they are in exerting pressure on the country's economy. In this paper, we address this question by examining their impact on the country's integration into regional and global apparel production networks. North Korea has in the past decade become an increasingly competitive exporter of apparel on the basis of consignment-based processing arrangements. Official trade data shows a sharp drop in North Korean exports of clothing since the sectoral ban in 2017. There is evidence to suggest, however, that exports have continued on a more informal and clandestine basis. North Korea's integration into apparel production networks has also taken the form of the dispatch of workers to factories in China's northeastern border regions. Yet there is evidence that the recent sanctions imposed on such practices has similarly led to illicit practices such as working on visitors' visas, often with the help of Chinese enterprises and local government. The resilience of North Korea's integration into apparel production networks follows a capitalist logic and is result of the highly profitable nature of apparel production for all actors concerned and a correspondingly strong desire to evade sanctions. As such, the analysis contributes to the literature on sanctions that suggests that the measures may contribute to emergence of growing informal and illicit practices and to the role of the clandestine economy.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.153-168
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• 2003

Since 1945, geography textbooks of South Korea and North Korea have been developed differently. Taking both geography textbooks of South Korea(printed in 1996 and 1997) and them of North Korea(printed in 1995), this study compares and analyse geography textbooks of South and North Korea systematically, then to show their likeness and difference. Results of this study are as follows: First, Most of contents in South Korean textbooks consist of explations and many tables, graphs and photographs leading to inquiry activities, whereas those in North Korean textbooks consist of mostly sentences that explain topics, diagrams and sketches. Second, Geographical education in South Korea puts strong emphasis on human geography and regional geography, whereas that in North Korea does strong emphasis on physical geography, economic geography and education of cartography. Third, The geographical words of South Korean textbooks contain words written in Chinese character and words of English origin, whereas Those of North Korean textbooks do many pure Korean words.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.179-191
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• 2009

This study analyzes and compares the geomorphic characteristics and environmental changes of coastal plains such as the Anju and Hamheung Plains located in the west and east coasts of North Korea, respectively, based on topographic maps of the 1910s and satellite images of the 2000s. The Anju Plain, so called by as Yeoldusamcheonribeol, can be divided into alluvial plains, coastal plains and erosional plains. The Hamheung Plain can be regarded as alluvial plains formed by Seongcheon-river. Approximately 84.98$km^2$ tidal flats have been reclaimed to farmlands and saltpans, and the most channels of medium and small rivers have been straightened at the Anju Plain during the last one hundred years. At the Hamheung Plain, on the other hands, approximately 3.40$km^2$ land has been increased by the advances of coastal line of the Seongcheon-river delta with a maximum of 800m, and channels of Seoseongcheon-river which showed anastomosing channels have been disappeared by reclamation. Gwang-po has been decreased by artificial reclamations and river sedimentary processes.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.761-777
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• 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 Korean Geographical Society
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.407-430
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to prove double faced heterotopiatic placeness of North Korea which can be highlighted to one aspect through priming test. Korean-Americans are found to have a perception of North Korea as a closed society where political leader cult is practiced, Pyongyang as a display city. They have Christian nostalgia toward it as a place where Christianity was first introduced to. North Korea's heterotopiatic placeness is sharing the 5,000 years of history of the Korea peninsula on the one hand and being a closed dictatorship place on the other. North Korea is kept isolated and closed but has had a liminal space through the intentional open system like special economic zone. Pyongyang is the city for specific class where it shows the heterotopiatic character. Priming is found effective in Yeongbyun, a place of extreme mixtures placeness as being the hometown of the beloved Korean poet Kim So-Wol and the site of nuclear weapon experiment but Korean-Americans have not found any priming effect regarding the Geumgang mountain tour. As to the Arirang performance, a man-made landscape expressing North Korea's sense of value and ideology, priming resulted in preference. This study raises the needs for understanding North Korea as a multifaced placeness and it can purposely be emphasized and changed to contribute the two Korea's unification.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.820-833
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• 2009

Multiculturalism in education are different from each countries, It is needed to practice multicultural education in many fields facing changes to multicultural society in Korea. This study demonstrates on the relationship of social friendliness and stereotypical attitudes toward Saeteomins (North Korean refugees) to the knowledge of North Korea. Saeteomins are special in the respect of linguistic and ethnic homogeneity of Korea. They have to adapt themselves to new circumstances like other immigrants from abroad. At the same time they have cultural senses of difference to live in a divided country in spite of ethnic homogeneity. It is important to get openminded attitudes to be receptive to cultural diversity in the respect of getting multicultural sensitivity. On account of a growing migration of Saeteomins family, Saeteomin students have difficulties in adapting to Korean society. This study focuses on the point of middle school (general) students' view to Saeteomin students, who have experiences to meet each other. There are three categories of contents knowledge, common sense of North Korea and social issues related to North Korea in this paper. All of them are significant to social friendliness and stereotypical attitudes toward Saeteomins to the knowledge of North Korea. That is important point to contents construction in curriculum about North Korea. This study is meaningful to find the potential to link contents knowledge of subject to multicultural education practice in the process of curriculum change especially in relation to the knowledge of North Korea in 2007.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.438-457
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• 2019

The main purpose of this paper is to identify the entry types and locational determinants of North Korean workers in cross-border regions between North Korea and China. More specifically, the paper has attempted to divide the entry type of them in the regions into two; 1) entry via transactions between Chinese traders with North Korea and North Korea trade companies, and 2) entry via transactions between Korean-Chinese middlemen and North Korean trade companies. Also, it has analyzed main factors of their locational determinants in the spatial contexts of the regions. There have been changes in two perspectives in terms of the entry paths and types of them in accordance with the transformation of characteristics of United Nations sanction against North Korea from 'call-upon' to 'decide' after UN Security Council Resolution 2094 in 2013. Firstly, main agents who have dealing with North Korean trade companies which have right to dispatch North Korean workers have been changed from Chinese traders into Korean-Chinese brokers who are specialized in the introduction of North Korean workers with one-stop service from visa administrative to labor managements. Secondly, there has been a transfer of North Korean workers in the regions from formal to informal workers who has been admitted into China with a short stay or a tourist visa, and then remained illegally to be employed in China. Therefore, as demands on service which is able to guarantee the security of North Korean informal workers and their managements have increased, Korean-Chinese brokers have been stimulated in the regions after the operation of real international sanctions against overseas North Korean workers. In addition, the main factors of their locational determinants in cross-border regions between North Korea and China are could be analyzed in three perspectives; 1) an increase in real wages in accordance with the reform of the Chinese social insurance system after 2011, 2) the structural vulnerability of labor markets in the regions, 3) the utilization of stable and manageable workers.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.263-275
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• 2008

This Study deals with the comparative analysis on the estimation of surface soil erosion volume between South and North Korea using RUSLE model in Imjin River basin located on DMZ of Central Korea. Comparatively North Korea areas have been more eroded three times as much as South Korea parts. Because of cropland development such as com Held in the hillslope, in North Korea, more surface soil erosion and transportation to the river bed has given rise to frequent flood hazards. It seems that the study can dedicate to mitigation of environmental problems such as soil erosion and flooding in unaccessible Imjin River basin located on DMZ.