As economic activity and industrialization are changed, regions are changing constantly, so are the characters of regions, too. According to the crisis of capitalism, advanced capitalist countries are coping with neo-liberalism. Besides, the developme...
As economic activity and industrialization are changed, regions are changing constantly, so are the characters of regions, too. According to the crisis of capitalism, advanced capitalist countries are coping with neo-liberalism. Besides, the development of transportation and telecommunication, collaps of cold-war system and expansion of liberal trade munipulate globalization including worldwide market.
The influence of globalization appears in regions variously. Traditional role of countries is getting weak and individual regions need to secure its competitiveness in the world market. Regions are not value-neutral abstract conception, but must inform and commercialize characters of region.
Korea has experienced rapid and dramatic change compared to other countries in the world. Particularly, the middle of west coast Korea has shown more rapid changes than any other regions in Korea. In ancient times, when Chinese civilization had great influence to the Asia, the middle of west coast Korea functioned as the trade counter that accepted advanced civilization from China, and the Mediterranean Sea of north-east Asia. the middle of west coast Korea was the repository of marine product and transportation route that carried grain paid for tax. The reclaimed land secured food as population increased. AS a result, agricultural farmland and settlement expanded in the coastal region.
In modern times, the middle of west coast Korea had turned into a major port and taken charge of receiving western and modern civilization from Japan. The the middle of west coast Korea had changed to granary for exporting rice to Japan. Consequently, reclaimation was achieved at larger scale. And marine products were increased by introduction of modern fishery technology.
Dividing of north and south Korea, the cold war and industrialization caused economic depression of the middle of west coast Korea that broke away from development. As economic trade with China declined. Japan and US became major export market of Korea. As a result, the axis of economic development was established Seoul-Pusan route. Development of land transportation weakened sea transportation of west coast.
In post-industrial age, the middle of west coast Korea has started development in order to seek balanced development between regions. Reclaimation was based on location of heavy industry and mechanised agriculture.
The west coast highway and bridges between island and land contributed to the development of west coast transportation. As information society matured, trend and value are changing. Environment and ecology emphasize and rediscover the value of mud flat. The west coast region now receives attention as eco-tour and sustainable course.
Reclaimation land are reused in many patterns. The particular climate and topography enables commercial agriculture, such as grape, making salt, solar and tidal power generation. These are starting new characters of the middle of west coast Korea.
As the age of cold war ended, and the order of globalization comes, the middle of west coast Korea was becoming an advanced base of trade with China. It is a revival to old character of region. Besides, free economic zones of west coast bring about vitalization of west coast area. Establishment of peace and increase of trade between north and south Korea would give shapes to west coastal special economic zone, co-development of mouth of the Han-river, co-fishery zone and construction of peace tour belt that linked DMZ.
This desertation is written in the viewpoint of regional geography. In the future, the middle of west coast Korea will make new characters of region in the informational, globalizational and north-east Asian age.