Absrtract
The Republic of Korea inhabits a peninsula surrounded by the sea, but its ocean space is restricted because it has close neighbours in each direction. Although the Korean people have a long tradition of fishing in waters near and far, the ocean resources they control under the rules established by the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention1 and other principles of international law are limited because of the crowded geography of North-east Asia. This paper examines the issues related to each of South Korea’s maritime boundaries, explains how the complex legal principles governing maritime boundaries might be applied in the Korean context, and analyses the options the Republic of Korea might pursue in negotiating the delimitation of its boundaries.