濟州海軍機動戰團의 海洋戰略 및 海洋主權 確保에 關한 硏究

Abstract

Accounting for 70% of global surface, the sea would never be enough to be emphasized for our everyday life as source of foods and line of communication.

Maritime conflicts among Republic of Korea, China, and Japan on Yi-eo Do, southernmost island of the Republic of Korea, and the island-containing South China Sea persist, and, at the same time, national competitions unclearly drawn by regional issues for safeguarding own maritime sovereignty, such as drawing border of Exclusive Economic Zone, continental shelf, and Territorial Seawater Base Line, continue.

Especially, the Republic of Korea has failed to setting borders of continental shelf with China and Japan, raising concerns and likelihood of potential conflicts on overlapped jurisdiction over the area among the states. China and Japan have fortified their maritime strategies and strengthened their own naval capabilities mainly for securing maritime hegemony on East and South China Sea.

Against the backdrop, the Republic of Korea Navy decided to place a naval base at Gangjeong-Dong, Seoguipo-Si in Jeju Island, in order to exert its best efforts for response to new martime security threats, solidification of national security by maritime activities in vicinity of Southern Jeju Island, and protection of sovereignty rights, thereby stationed Maritime Task Flotilla capable of maritime power projection.

Given condition of increasing needs for swift response to various threats in waters, developed countries has put their best efforts to strengthen maritime security and secure national interests through consistent development of naval power. But, the Republic of Korea has failed in understanding significance of maritime security and national interests up to now and undergone many of cacophonies in development of naval base in Jeju island for upholding these values. The issue related to the base construction has been centered on various social conflicts involving the government, military, residents of Jeju island. scholars, politicians, and even religious circle.

In order to seek any course of action to overcome these situations, critical meanings of vessels assigned under Jeju Naval Task Flotilla in the aspects of maritime and national securities are defined, and justification of establishment of the naval base and military activities was reviewed by verifying the international maritime law, such as right of visit for inspection and hot pursuit given to jurisdiction.

Unlike Chinhae or Busan naval base, Jeju naval base allows the Republic of Korea Navy to shorten responding time against military provocation in vicinity of NLL by North korea and any types of maritime contingency occurred on the South Korean Waters and its near sea. In addition, the base will be very effective to monitor and respond to maritime activities of neighboring countries including China continuing its military presence using Naval Ship, Government ship, and aircrafts at the waters near Yi-eo Do in accordance with its claim of maritime border expansion.

The Republic of Korea Navy is capable of conducting swift operations at every waters near the Korean Peninsula, and Naval forces of Jeju Naval Task Flotilla are capable of conducting multifaceted operations including anti-submarine, anti-surface, and anfi-aircraft. With these capabilities, the ROK Navy is possible to have swift and effective response against any escalated tensions over maritime resource development and border setting in related to Yi-eo Do, thereby it can play critical role of securing maritime sovereignty and southern sea lines of communication.