Sustainable ecological governance of the Yellow Sea: pathways for legal coordination and international cooperation

Introduction The Yellow Sea, situated in the Northeast Asian region of the Northwest Pacific, plays a critical ecological and economic role. Ensuring the protection and restoration of its marine ecosystem is essential for sustaining marine-based economic activities. Currently, effective conservation in the Yellow Sea necessitates coordinated efforts among China, South Korea, and North Korea. This study aims to improve the governance of the Yellow Sea region and promote its long-term sustainable development. Methods By employing normative analysis and comparative research methods, the study conducts a multi-level assessment of the current governance framework for the Yellow Sea. Results The analysis identifies significant gaps in the current regional governance mechanism. Key findings underscore the urgency of clarifying maritime boundaries, improving North Korea’ s engagement in cooperative governance, and strengthening domestic legal frameworks across all three coastal states. Discussion This study proposes a two-step pathway to advance regional governance in the Yellow Sea, guided by the principles of good ocean governance. Key recommendations include resolving China-South Korea maritime boundary delimitation, promoting sustainable fisheries management through redefined operational zones clarified legal status of transitional waters and dispute resolution clauses and gradually engaging North Korea by prioritizing low-sensitivity areas. Domestically, enhancing legislative systems is emphasized to build a systematic framework for sustainable governance. It must be noted, however, that the feasibility and effectiveness of this proposal critically depend on geopolitical stability and progress in maritime delimitation among China, South Korea, and North Korea, as well as the extent of North Korea’ s participation in regional cooperation.