외교안보연구소 발간자료

Current Situation in the Arctic and Its Future Prospects

Current Situation in the Arctic and Its Future Prospects

Current Situation in the Arctic and Its Future Prospects

Current Situation in the Arctic and Its Future 
Prospects 
 
 
July13, 2010 
CHO Jung-hyun 
Visiting Professor 
The phenomenon of climate 
change, which is mostly 
represented in the form of 
global warming, is currently 
posing a significant threat 
to the Arctic’s fragile ecosystem and its 
environment. On the other hand, a 
dramatic reduction of sea ice in the 
Arctic Ocean, caused also by global 
warming, has been drawing economic 
interests of coastal States in the Arctic 
as well as other neighbouring States, 
given the possibility of developing rich 
resources at the bottom of the sea as 
well as using sea lanes in the Arctic. In 
addition, as it becomes more likely that 
the Arctic is to be developed further in 
the future, more attention is now being 
given to the Arctic Ocean from a military 
and security perspective. Another polar 
region, the Antarctic Continent, has 
been regarded as a ‘common heritage 
of mankind’ based on the Antarctic 
Treaty System and it has been successful 
in freezing national claims to territorial 
sovereignty over the region as well as 
securing a framework for international 
cooperation and environmental protection. 
The Arctic Ocean, on the other hand, is 
not endowed with such a well-established 
system of international governance as 
the case in the Antarctic, despite the 
fact that the Arctic thaw, caused by the 
temperature rise in summer, has greatly 
increased the potential for the Arctic’s 
economic use such as the development 
of resources and use of sea lanes. In 
addition, compared with the Antarctic, 
the Arctic is where various floras, mammals 
as well as a group of indigenous peoples 
like the Inuit reside across regions. In 
this vein, it seems necessary to examine 
the current situation surrounding the 
Arctic Ocean and to make an outlook 
for its future, and this might suggest 
some important policy implications for 
Korea. 
1. Artic Issues 
2. Legal Issues
3. Artic Regime?
4. Policy Consideration

Past Publications

오럴히스토리총서

오세아니아

지구 온난화

Inuit

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기획조사과

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ENG