Korea Strait
The
Korea Strait is a sea passage between
South Korea and
Japan, connecting the
East China Sea and the
Sea of Japan (East Sea) in northwest
Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by the
Tsushima Island into the Western Channel and the
Tsushima Strait.
To the north, it is bounded by the southeast coast of the
Korean peninsula, and to the south by the southwestern
Japanese islands of
Kyushu and
Honshu. 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.
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 passed 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
Hokkaido 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.
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.
Historically, these narrows served as a highway for high risk voyages. The sea route between
Busan, Korea, and the Tsushima Island is about 50 km, as is the route from the island to
Iki Island, Japan. These were tremendous distances to attempt in small boats over open seas
Some archeologists believe the first migrations of the
Northern Mongoloid traveled across to Japan around the 8th century BC, and
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 latest culture and technologies. Japanese pirates called
Wokou also traversed these waters (
See article:
Gwanggaeto Stele).
Land bridge
See article:
Land bridgeDuring 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.
Mongolian invasion
See main article:
Mongol invasions of JapanJoint 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 though 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 became a base of the Wokou (Japanese pirates). Korean
Joseon Dynasty sent a fleet to Tsushima in 1419 for the suppression of Wokou activity. Korea subsequently agrees to grant the Japanese limited trading privileges.
Battle of Tsushima
See main article:
Battle of TsushimaThe 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.
*
Encyclopedia Britannica article*
Oceanographic Characteristics of the Korea Strait, from KORDI# For example, a) 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) Russo-Japanese War Research Society# Japan Hydrographic Association# Ministry of the Environment, Japan# # Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department, Japan Coast Guard
*
List of Japan-related topics*
Geography of Japan*
List of Korea-related topics*
Russo-Japanese War*
Battle of Tsushima*
Tsushima City
