해정학과 도서연구 -동아시아적 관점-

Abstract

This paper aims at islands studies through a new perspective of sea-centered concept. Geopolitics coined during the 1st world war has long been used for geographical expansion by imperial powers and, furthermore, islands have been extended through the idea of land belongings in terms of international politics since beginning of the western expansionism through colonialism and imperialism. This author creates a new terminology of Oceopolitics against geopolitics. Oceopolitics must be considered with the idea of commensalism among all kinds of livings and nonlivings under the concept of biosphere. There have been growing tensions in East Asia by means of expansion towards seas. East Sea(Sea of Japan), East China Sea, South China Sea are located in the middle of international disputes and tension at stake. Wisdom to share seas for everyday life calls for our attention to keep peace around seas in the world. How to share and keep the resources among peoples around seas? This author now resides at Danang, Vietnam and faces with South China Sea and learns the fact that people in Vietnam calls their own indigenous name of East Sea for South China Sea. Anthropologists might contribute to solve the tension and disputes around South China Sea through detailed ethnographic fieldwork on names of places of seas. These names carry a pretty much long history of indigenous lives with their marine environment to designate the way of sharing places and resources. Seas have been used for waste out of nuclear power plant and dump-site of plastics and microplastics killing animals in the sea. Oceopolitics should become the role of opening a new platform to discuss about those problems with the on-going ecological and potential military crisis among seas in East Asia