• Summary:

This legal document contains the English version of the Agreement between Japan and South Korea concerning the establishment of boundary in the northern part of the continental shelf adjacent to the two countries (with map and agreed minutes) signed on 30 January 1974. As provided by Article 3, apart from continental shelves delimitation, this Agreement shall not affect the legal status of the superjacent waters around and airspace above the continental shelves area subjected to this Agreement.

Article 1 provides the coordinates of 26 points constituting the boundary line between that part of the continental shelf appertaining to Japan and that part of the continental shelf appertaining to the Republic of Korea in the northern part of the continental shelf adjacent to the two countries.

Notably, Article 2 clarifies that in case Japan and South Korea are unable to agree on a manner to ‘most effectively exploit’ any geological structure or field of mineral deposit beneath the seabed that extends across the boundary line, the dispute shall be referred to a third party arbitration at the request of either party. The decision of that arbitration shall be binding on both Japan and South Korea.

• Document: Agreement between Japan and South Korea concerning the establishment of boundary in the northern part of the continental shelf adjacent to the two countries (with map and agreed minutes) signed on 30 January 1974 (English version)
• Related document: Agreement between Japan and South Korea concerning joint development of the southern part of the continental shelf adjacent to the two countries (with map, appendix, agreed minutes, and exchanges of notes) on 30 January 1974 (English version)