The 'Korea Strait' is a sea passage between
South Korea and
Japan, connecting the
East China Sea and the
Sea of Japan in the northwest
Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by the
Tsushima Island into the
Busan Strait (Western Channel) and the
Tsushima Strait (Eastern Channel).
Geography
To the north, it is bounded by the southeast coast of the
Korean peninsula, and to the south by the southwestern
Japanese islands of
Kyūshū and
Honshū. It is about 200 km (120 miles) wide and averages about 90 to 100 meters (300 feet) deep.
Tsushima Island divides the Korea Strait into the Western Channel and the Tsushima Strait. The Western Channel is deeper (up to 227 meters) and narrower than the Tsushima Strait.
Currents
A branch of the
Kuroshio Current passes through the strait. Its warm branch is sometimes called the Tsushima Current. Originating along the Japanese islands this current passes through the Sea of Japan then divides along either shore of
Sakhalin Island, eventually flowing into the northern
Pacific Ocean via the strait north of
Hokkaidō and into the
Sea of Okhotsk north of
Sakhalin Island near
Vladivostok. The water-mass characteristics vary widely because of the low-salinity waters of the southeast coasts of Korea and China.
Economic significance
Numerous international shipping lanes pass through the strait, including those carrying much of the traffic bound for the ports of southern South Korea. Both South Korea and Japan have restricted their territorial claims in the strait to 3
nautical miles from shore, so as to permit free passage through it.
Passenger ferries ply numerous routes across the strait. Commercial ferries run from
Busan, South Korea to Japanese ports including
Fukuoka,
Tsushima,
Shimonoseki, and
Hiroshima. Ferries also connect
Tsushima Island with Fukuoka, and South Korea's
Jeju Island with the Korean mainland. Ferries connecting Busan and Japanese cities with ports in
China also traverse the strait.
Historic impact
Land bridge
:''See article'':
Land bridge
During the
Pleistocene glacial cycles, the Korea and the
Bering Straits, and the
Yellow Sea were often dried up and the
Japanese islands were connected to the
Eurasian Continent through the
Korean Peninsula and
Sakhalin. At the periods, the
Sea of Japan was said to be a frozen inner lake due to the lack of warm
Tsushima Current and various plants and large animals, such as
Naumann elephant, spread into Japan.
Early history
Historically, these narrows served as a highway for high risk voyages. The sea route between
Busan, South Korea, and the Tsushima Island is about 50 km, as is the route from the island to
Iki Island, Japan.
In the 8th century BC,
Buddhism (
Mahāyāna Buddhism) was transmitted by Korea's
Baekje to the easternmost Japan (''See article'':
East Asian Buddhism) over this strait, long before seagoing ships were available.
Japan's
Wa periodically sent, through the Korean strait and the Korean peninsula, year-long
Imperial embassies to China to obtain the latest culture and technologies. Japanese pirates called
Wokou also traversed these waters (''See article'':
Gwanggaeto Stele).
Mongolian invasion
:''See main article'':
Mongol invasions of Japan
A joint fleet of Mongol, China, and Korea crossed this strait and attempted to invade Japan in 1274 and 1281. The force severely ravaged the
Tsushima Island on the way to Japan but failed to defeat Japan. The
typhoon (''
kamikaze'', usually translated as "''divine wind''") is said to have saved Japan from a
Mongol invasion fleet led by
Kublai Khan in 1281.
Wokou and Oei Invasion
:''See main article'':
Wokou and
Oei Invasion
After the Mongolian invasion ravaged Tsushima, it became a base of the Wokou (Japanese pirates). The Korean
Joseon Dynasty sent a fleet to Tsushima in 1419 for the suppression of Wokou activity. Korea subsequently agreed to grant the Japanese limited trading privileges.
Battle of Tsushima
:''See main article'':
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima, fought between the Japanese and Russian navies on
May 27 and
May 28,
1905, took place in the Tsushima Strait part of the Korea Strait, east of the north part of Tsushima and due north of Iki Island. The Russian fleet was virtually destroyed by the Japanese.
External links
★
Encyclopedia Britannica article
★
Oceanographic Characteristics of the Korea Strait, from KORDI
References
# For example, a)
Low-Frequency Current Observations in the Korea/Tsushima Strait W. J. Teague, G. A. Jacobs, H. T. Perkins, J. W. Book, K.-I. Chang, M.-S. Suk ''Journal of Physical Oceanography'' '32', 1621–1641 (2001). b)
Tsushima Russo-Japanese War Research Society
#
Nautical Charts of SE Japan Sea Japan Hydrographic Association
#
List of National and Quasi-national Parks, Japan #48 Iki-Tsushima Ministry of the Environment, Japan
#
The Republic of Korea’s Maritime Boundaries, page 18
#
Designated Area of Japan Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department, Japan Coast Guard
See also
★
List of Japan-related topics
★
Geography of Japan
★
List of Korea-related topics
★
Russo-Japanese War
★
Battle of Tsushima
★
Tsushima City
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