YPS - Review

Lessons from Arctic Ocean Territorial Conflicts for East Asia : The Hans Island Conflict and the Treaty of Svalbard

Jiho Kim

October 7th, 2024

The international community has recently drawn attention to territorial conflicts in the Arctic Ocean, including the Hans island conflict and the Svalbard Treaty. In particular, the strategic value of the Arctic Ocean is becoming increasingly important as a military hub and resource acquisition, which causes several countries to claim complex territorial claims. These Arctic conflicts also have significant implications for territorial conflicts in East Asia.

First, the Hans island conflict between Denmark and Canada is noteworthy as an example of resolving the territorial dispute that has continued over the past few decades. Despite a long debate over a small island in the Arctic Ocean, the two countries reached a peaceful agreement through diplomatic negotiations instead of military conflicts. This negotiation method also provides an important lesson for territorial disputes in East Asia. It sends a message that China, Japan, and Korea should seek solutions through diplomatic dialogue rather than military responses to the issues of the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyudao) and Dokdo Island, which are in dispute.

In addition, the Svalbard Treaty presents an international management model in which several countries share resources in a region. This treaty has a complex structure that allows several countries to access their resources while Norway holds the sovereignty of the Svalbard Islands. This can be an important reference for envisioning multilateral cooperation models in East Asia's maritime resource conflicts, especially in regions such as the South China Sea. Resource management through international agreements and multilateral cooperation is necessary so that conflicts over resources do not lead to armed conflicts.

Negotiations and diplomacy are the main means of resolving Arctic territorial disputes rather than military tensions, which can be an important guide in resolving peaceful territorial issues in East Asia.