Going West? Spatial polarization of the North Korean port system

César Ducruet (1) , Stanislas Roussin (2) , Jin-Cheol Jo (3)

1 GC (UMR_8504) - Géographie-cités
2 Seric-Corée
3 KRIHS - Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements

This paper proposes an analysis of North Korean ports in the light of existing models and cases of port system evolution. In particular, it reviews the economical and political factors shaping port concentration in developed, developing, and socialist countries. A database on vessel movements allows for the analysis of individual North Korean port traffic by total capacity circulated, cargo type, fleet nationality, immediate origin and destination, and berthing time between 1985 and 2005. On the one hand, results confirm broader trends such as geopolitical change from socialist trade to isolation, and new inter-Korean relations. On the other hand, the geography of North Korean port traffic combines elements of both socialist and developing countries. While ideological factors and military control hamper port modernization and trade openness, traffic concentration at the Pyongyang-Nampo gateway highlights the gradual precedence taken by economical factors over political factors. This is also explained by spatial polarization in the capital region at the expense of Eastern ports for which inland transport limitations and industrial decline have become major issues. Some possible policy directions are provided for future port development in this country

Mots clés: DPRK; maritime traffic; North Korea; port system; regional development

Domaines: Géographie

César Ducruet, Stanislas Roussin, Jin-Cheol Jo. Going West? Spatial polarization of the North Korean port system. Journal of Transport Geography, 2009, 17 (5), pp.357-368. ⟨halshs-00458587⟩