Figure 1 Yu, W., & Lee, C.The Korean peninsula is within the Northeast Asian region. The Korean peninsula is 750 miles long and is divided in half. The East Asian country of South Korea occupies the southern half of the peninsula and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) occupies the north (South Korea, 2021). The Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea surround the coastlines of South Korea on three sides (Korean Culture and Information Service, 2024). Forming a natural divide between North and South Korea, the Taebaek Mountains run along the eastern coastline and into North Korea (Yu & Lee, 2024). This diverse geography significantly shapes South Korea’s climate, natural resources, and cultural landscape. The interplay between mountainous terrain and coastal areas contributes to the country’s unique environmental and economic characteristics, particularly within the broader Northeast Asian mega-region.
South Korea is located close to world powers China and Japan. As well as having complex relationships with North Korea. Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, North and South Korea have not signed a peace settlement but have pledged not to execute any hostels within Demilitarized Zones (DMZ) (Horton, Ma, & Palumbo, 2024). Satellite images show North Korea is building a border 2.5 miles from the DMZ (Horton, Ma, & Palumbo, 2024). At the start of 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that his country would no longer pursue reunification with South Korea (Horton, Ma, & Palumbo, 2024). To the east, South Korea tries to rebuild its relationship with Japan and settle its past historical issues from the Japanese colonial period. They recognize that reconciling their differences would “improve their diplomatic and economic ties in order to address common challenges” (Aum & Galic, 2023). Attempts in the past have improved relations between the two countries enough to “achieve gains in insecurity, development, and prosperity” (Aum & Galic, 2023). While South Korea attempts to reconcile differences with Japan, tensions grow with China. Aiming to strengthen their relationship with the United States, China regeared South Korea as the “weakest link among the United States’ Asian alliance partners” (Snyder, 2023). South Korea navigates complex relationships with neighboring countries.
